The Three Questions

King John of England did not like anyone else to look richer than he himself was. There was a rich merchant living in the kingdom who loved to dress up. The king sent his soldiers to bring him to the court.

The king asked the merchant, “Who is the greater–the king or a merchant?”

“The king is the greater, Your Majesty!” answered the merchant in terror.

“It is a crime to live grander than the king. You must be punished,” the king declared, “But I shall give you a chance to get pardon. Just answer my three questions correctly: how much am I worth? How long will it take for me to go round the world? What am I thinking now? Come back in three days with the answers.”

The merchant went back home wondering about the strange questions. As he sat eating his meal sadly, his cook asked him, “Why are you looking so sad, Master?” The merchant told the cook about the three questions.

The cook suggested, “Master, let me go in your place to answer the questions.” Then he added, “People say I look very much like you. Once I wear your clothes, the King will not be able to find out.” The merchant agreed.

The cook then went to meet the King. In the merchant’s fine clothes, he looked quite like him. The King could not find the difference. “Your Majesty, I have come to answer your questions,” the cook said. The King asked, “What am I worth? I am the King of England!”

“Your Majesty,” replied the cook, “according to the Bible, Jesus, the King of Heaven and Earth, was sold for thirty pence. Your worth must be one penny less. It should be twenty-nine pence.”

The king laughed. Then, he asked, “How soon can I ride around the world?”

The cook said, “Your Majesty, you must rise with the Sun, ride with it the whole night. In this way, you will be able to go round the world in twenty-four hours.”

The King then looked seriously at the cook and asked, “Tell me what I am thinking now.”

“Sir, you are thinking I am the merchant. But I am not. I am his cook. I have come to ask pardon for him, and for myself.” The cook with both palms joined quickly knelt down in front of the King.

The King said, “I am pleased with your intelligence. You shall receive a pound a week as long as you live. Go home and tell the merchant that I have forgiven him.”

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