The king and the farmer
Once upon a time there lived a mighty king in the mountains of Tibet.
Everybody in the whole country knew he liked nothing more than fish, and he ate
a lot of fish; every meal. Then the time came when it stopped raining in Tibet,
the ground became dry, so nothing could grow and there were no more rivers.
With the rivers, the fish disappeared. The king couldn't eat fish anymore. He
became very sad, and he wouldn't eat anymore. The king had told to everyone in
the country that the person who could give him a fish would get a great reward.
One day, a farmer who had traveled a long way, knocked on the door of the
palace of the king. He carried a very large fish in a basket. The porter asked
him who he was and what he came for. The farmer said: " I am a farmer who
traveled a very long way. I would like to see the king" " To do
what?" the porter asked. The farmer answered: " I came to present
this fish to the king, it's a very large one!" While he was taking the
cover from the large basked he carried with him. The porter looked surprised
and said to the farmer: " That's a very nice fish you are carrying. If you
give it to me, I'll give it to the king." " I'm not going to let you
take my fish, I would like to give it to the king myself." " I will
give you a large amount of money if you would give me the fish." "
No, no I don't want to sell this fish, it's a gift for the king!"
The porter knew the farmer was not going to give or sell the fish to him. So he
said: " I'm not letting you pass little farmer, unless you give me half
the reward you get from the king." The farmer thought for a little while
and then he said: "Alright, you'll get half of the reward."
"Swear it" the porter said, " swear it, or I'm not letting you
trough." " I swear" the farmer answered " I swear I'll give
you half of the reward." The porter felt happy and the farmer entered with
a large smile on his face. The farmer said to the porter: "If the king
will give me a reward, I have to know with who I have to share it. What's your
name?" " Everyone knows me" the porter said, " They call me
the one-eyed yak."
The king was more than happy with the large fish he got from the farmer. He
said to him: " I'm so happy, I don't know how to thank you. What do you
want from me?" The farmer said: " I'd like to have 1000 strokes with
a stick" The king was surprised and he said: " Are you sure you want
to have that? It's not a usual wish." " I'm very sure," the
farmer said. " I've never been more sure!" The king thought the man
was a little bit crazy and he said to his helpers that they had to strike him
really soft. The farmer was laid on the floor and was hit by the king's helpers
so soft, he could hardly feel it.
After he was hit 500 times, he got up and said now it's time the one eyed yak
gets what he deserves. The king laughed. " Why," he asked, "
Does the one-eyed yak have to be stroked?" The farmer explained the whole
thing to the king, and the porter was summoned into the room of the king. The
king said the porter had to be beaten much harder and the one-eyed yak screamed
of pain. After the 500 strikes, the king said: " Shouldn't you thank the
farmer for half of the reward?" And the porter had to thank the farmer in
front of all the people in the room. Then, the farmer said goodbye to all the
people and he was happy the king treated him so well.
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