Nasreddin Teach Donkey Read

tale:nasreddin_teach_donkey_read

Ordered by a powerful ruler to teach a donkey to read, the Hodja asks for many years and a purse of gold, then trains the beast to flip the pages of a book with its tongue in search of hidden oats. 'By the time the lesson is done,' he reasons, 'either the king, the donkey, or I will be dead.' Moral: when refusal is fatal, buy time and let fate decide. — Nasreddin Hodja