Wise Answers
A soldier served in his regiment for twenty-five full years, yet never saw the tsar’s face. When he came home, people asked him about the tsar, and he did not…
A soldier served in his regiment for twenty-five full years, yet never saw the tsar’s face. When he came home, people asked him about the tsar, and he did not know what to say. His relatives and acquaintances began to reproach him. “Just think,” they said, “you served for twenty-five years and never once set eyes on the tsar!” This hurt his feelings, so he got ready and went to see the tsar. He arrived at the palace. The tsar asked:
“What brings you here, soldier?”
“Well, Your Imperial Majesty, I served you and God for twenty-five full years, yet never saw your face. I’ve come to have a look!”
“Then look.”
The soldier walked round the tsar three times, examining him all over. The tsar asked:
“Do I look well?”
“You do,” answered the soldier.
“Now tell me, soldier: how high is the sky above the earth?”
“So high that when it thunders up there, we hear it down here.”
“And how wide is the earth?”
“The sun rises over there and sets over there. That’s how wide!”
“And how deep is the earth?”
“Well, I had a grandfather who died about ninety years ago. They buried him in the earth, and he hasn’t come home since. It must be deep!”
Then the tsar sent the soldier to the dungeon and said to him:
“Keep your wits about you, soldier! I’ll send you thirty geese. See that you pluck a feather from each.”
“Very well!”
The tsar summoned thirty rich merchants and asked them the same riddles he had asked the soldier. They thought and thought but could give no answer, so the tsar ordered them to be put in the dungeon. The soldier asked them:
“Well, good merchants, what were you locked up for?”
“The sovereign asked us how far the sky is from the earth, how wide the earth is and how deep it is. But we are ignorant men and could give no answer.”
“Give me a thousand rubles each, and I’ll tell you the truth.”
“Gladly, brother! Just teach us.”
The soldier took a thousand rubles from each and taught them how to answer the tsar’s riddles. About two days later, the tsar summoned both the merchants and the soldier. He asked the merchants the very same riddles, and as soon as they answered, he sent them back where they belonged.
“Well, soldier, did you manage to pluck a feather from each?”
“I did, Your Majesty, and golden feathers at that!”
“And is your home far away?”
“You can’t see it from here, so it must be far!”
“Here’s a thousand rubles for you. Go with God!”
The soldier returned home and lived comfortably and richly.