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| The Clever Peasant Literary Introduction |
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| The Rich Man’s Strange Question |
Once upon a time, in a large village surrounded by green fields and quiet rivers, there lived a very rich gentleman. His house was enormous, with shining windows, tall gates, and long tables filled with delicious food every single day.
People said his money could never run out. No matter how much he spent, he somehow became even richer.
Still, the rich man was often bored.
One evening, while his guests laughed and ate in his grand hall, the master suddenly had an idea.
“Let us have some fun,” he said with a grin.
He ordered his servants to bring the poorest peasant from the village.
The peasant entered quietly, holding his old cap in his hands.
The rich man leaned back in his chair.
“Tell me, peasant,” he said, “what does NOT happen in this world? These days people can fly through the sky, ride strange machines, and send messages far away. Surely everything is possible now!”
The poor man scratched the back of his head.
“Hmmm… I don’t know, sir,” he answered honestly. “It seems almost everything happens nowadays. But give me until tomorrow, and maybe I’ll think of something.”
The guests burst into laughter.
“Very well!” said the rich man. “Come back tomorrow with an answer.”
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| A Sleepless Night |
That night, the peasant could not sleep.
He sat beside a tiny candle in his little wooden house, thinking and thinking while the wind rattled the windows.
“What doesn’t happen in this world?” he whispered.
Every strange idea seemed possible somehow.
“Maybe people really can do anything,” he muttered.
Hours passed.
The rooster crowed outside.
The tired peasant sighed and finally said, “Well… I’ll just say what comes to mind.”
The next morning, he returned to the rich man’s mansion.
The rich man smirked.
“Well, peasant? Have you found your answer?”
“Yes, sir,” said the man. “One thing never happens: no one ties an axe around their waist and tucks their feet behind the handle!”
The guests exploded with laughter.
Even the rich man chuckled loudly.
“That’s clever!” one guest whispered.
But instead of giving the peasant the promised money, the rich man waved his hand carelessly.
“Oh, perhaps that never happens here,” he said slyly, “but in foreign lands it probably happens all the time! Come back tomorrow with another answer.”
The peasant blinked in surprise.
Still, he nodded politely and walked home again.
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| Another Clever Answer |
The second night was even harder.
The peasant paced around his little house.
“The master just wants to trick me,” he grumbled. “Still… maybe tomorrow I’ll finally earn that money.”
At sunrise, he returned once more.
“Well?” asked the rich man with a grin. “What else never happens in this world?”
The peasant took a deep breath.
“A woman cannot become a priest,” he said carefully, “and a young maiden cannot lead a church service.”
Again the guests laughed and nodded.
But once again, the rich man shook his head.
“Oh, perhaps that also happens somewhere far away,” he teased. “You must try again! Tomorrow is your last chance.”
The poor peasant walked home feeling angry and tired.
“It seems impossible to win against a rich man,” he muttered.
Still, he kept thinking.
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| The Journey to Heaven |
The next evening, the peasant came up with a wild idea.
“If the master wants nonsense,” he whispered, “then I’ll give him the biggest nonsense of all!”
The following morning, he returned to the mansion.
The rich man crossed his arms.
“Well? Have you finally learned what does not happen in this world?”
The peasant nodded seriously.
“At first, I thought people could never reach heaven,” he began. “But now I know even that can happen.”
The room suddenly became silent.
The rich man raised an eyebrow.
“You went to heaven?”
“Yes, sir,” the peasant replied calmly. “My late wife sent a cart for me. Two giant cranes pulled it through the clouds.”
The guests stared wide-eyed.
“And what did you do there?” asked the master.
“I visited my wife and children,” the peasant said. “Then I jumped back down to earth.”
“You jumped?” shouted the rich man. “How did you survive?”
“Oh,” said the peasant casually, “I landed softly in the ground up to my ears.”
The guests gasped.
“And how did you get out?” demanded the master.
The peasant shrugged.
“I simply went home, fetched a shovel, dug myself out, and climbed free.”
The guests burst into roaring laughter.
Even the servants struggled not to smile.
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| The Master Loses His Temper |
The rich man narrowed his eyes.
“Tell me,” he said carefully, “did you happen to see my late father in heaven?”
“Oh yes,” replied the peasant immediately. “I saw him near the animal pens.”
The rich man leaned forward.
“And what was he doing there?”
The peasant pretended to think very hard.
“He was washing diapers for my children,” he answered innocently.
For a moment, the room became completely silent.
Then the rich man jumped to his feet.
“That is nonsense!” he shouted angrily. “A master would NEVER serve a peasant!”
The clever villager smiled softly.
“Aha,” he said. “So there IS at least one thing that does not happen in this world.”
The guests burst into loud laughter once more.
The rich man’s face turned red.
At last, he threw a bag of coins toward the peasant.
“Take your money and leave!” he grumbled.
The peasant bowed politely, picked up the coins, and happily walked home at last.
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