THE SPEAKING HORSE

Once there was a foolish king. He had a beautiful white horse. The king also had a friend. The friend was a pundit and he was very wise. Everyone listened to the pundit and they liked him. The king was angry. He wanted the people to listen to him and not listen to the pundit.

One day the king said to the pundit, ‘Everyone Says you are very wise.  I want you to teach my horse to speak. If you cannot do it, I will cut off your head. ’

The pundit went home. He was very sad. His daughter said to him, ” Why are you sad?” 

The pundit told her. ‘The king says I must teach his horse to speak. No one can teach a horse to speak. I cannot do it, and the king will cut off my head.’  

‘Don’ t be sad,’ said his daughter. ‘Go to the king tomorrow and say to him,“ I can teach your horse to speak, but i will take a long time. Give me your horse for seven years, and I will teach it to speak.” ’ 

‘ But I cannot teach it to speak,’ said the pundit. ‘After seven years the king will kill me.’ 

‘ Seven years is a long time,’ said his daughter. ‘ who knows what will happen before then?’ The pundit went to the king and said, ‘ I will teach your horse to speak, but it will take seven years.’ 

The king laughed and told the pundit to take the horse and keep it for seven years. 

And the wise daughter was right. Before seven years ended, the foolish king died, and the pundit kept the horse.