Gather round for a story about a farmer, an unexpected guest, and the answer to a mysterious riddle...
Many summers ago, a farmer lived with his daughter, a clever child named Manka. An astute girl, Manka was rightly suspicious when a traveler knocked at their garden gate and offered three heifers in exchange for three meals. But despite her doubts, Manka's father was delighted. What a silly trade, he thought, and shook hands with the man. With their agreement in place, beginning with breakfast, the farmer and his daughter cooked three delicious meals for their guest. A royal lunch followed the first meal, and after that, a dinner that lasted late into the night. But, as Manka suspected, once the table was cleared and the farmer asked for his heifers, the traveler laughed and exposed the tattered insides of his pockets.
Embarrassed, the farmer forced the swindler in front of a judge. He expected the law to side with him immediately, but instead, the judge asked the farmer two questions – had he seen the three heifers before he shook hands with the traveler? What made him believe the person who arrived at his door with empty pockets and an unlikely promise?
The farmer bowed his head and admitted the man hadn't looked like a shepherd, and despite his daughter's warnings, he'd still agreed to the curious deal. The judge considered the predicament, and in place of punishment, he handed down a riddle.
What is the swiftest thing in the world? What is the sweetest thing in the world? What is the richest?
The judge explained that the blameless man would come up with the best answer, and the other would pay the price for their blunder.
"This will be simple," the traveler said as he left the courtroom and headed to the nearest pub. He recited the riddle to the patrons, but before anyone could open their mouth to respond, the traveler announced, "Everyone knows that my gray mare is the swiftest thing in the world, and my hives produce the sweetest nectar, and my purse of golden ducats makes me far richer than the farmer!" The barkeep just nodded and filled his glass.
Unlike the swindler, the farmer hurried home to consult the wisest person he knew, his daughter Manka. Upon hearing the riddle, Manka began naming every quick-footed creature she had ever seen. She listed all the sweet blisses that lived in her garden and scribbled the names of rich people, rich foods, and the ways in which humans are rich in love. Manka stayed up all night searching for the key to the riddle, and the next morning, as she walked her father back to court, the answer shone down from the summer sky.
Not surprisingly, the judge was not impressed with the traveler's response, for a fast horse was typical, sweet honey was the standard kind, and gold coins were the most ordinary display of wealth.
But the justice smiled as he turned to the farmer, who recited what Manka had realized moments earlier.
"Your honor, I believe the swiftest thing in the world is thought, for our thoughts can cross any distance in the twinkling of an eye. And the sweetest thing of all is sleep, for when we are tired and sad, nothing is sweeter," he said.
"And what of the richest?" asked the judge.
"The richest thing is our earth, for out of the earth spring all the treasures of the world."
Upon hearing the farmer's answers, the judge swung his gavel, giving it a great smack across his desk, and handed down the verdict – the traveler must pay for his meals. And since the man did not have three heifers as promised, the judge declared he must repay the farmer in the traditional way.
And so, as the story goes, the farmer and clever Manka returned home with their pockets full of the traveler's gold coins. The farmer asked his daughter how she'd become so wise in her short life, but the girl just shrugged and tended to their garden. She didn't admit it to her father, but Manka often asked herself the same thing. But because no answers ever made themselves known, Manka figured that some things weren't meant to be explained. Sometimes, it's more fun to treat life as a riddle. Sometimes it's more fun to wonder.
This Storytime was inspired by the Czechoslovak Folktale, “Clever Manka: The Story of a Girl Who Knew What to Say,” as told by Parker Fillmore
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