It is said that a king married his son three times, but in all three cases the marriages ended in separation, while the father did not understand anything about the reason why the son separated from his wives.

It is said that a king married his son three times, but in all three cases the marriages ended in separation, while the father did not understand anything about the reason why the son separated from his wives. Angry with his son who was a candidate for the royal throne, he kicked him out of the palace. The prince went out of the city and began to search a job. Far from the city he met a family that dealt with cattle. The man of the house greeted him and invited him inside. From the conversation and the words he seemed to be a good boy and while they passed from one conversation to another, the father thought of proposing to his only daughter to marry this smart boy and live with them.

She was not expected and went to her daughter and told her about this boy and that she would like to make him her son in law. The daughter replied: I will not marry until you travel with him and know him closely. To be surprised in fact, but this answer seemed quite convincing to him and so he went to the young man and said: Tomorrow you will not go to graze sheep, but you will come with me on a journey of several days. That’s how it happened. They traveled for a few days and on the way they encountered a herd of small animals. Seeing you, the young man said: How much and how little.

The words seemed meaningless to the man, but he did not speak and they continued on their way. Further, they encountered another herd of small ones and the young man said: How little and how much. The man thought to himself: This man is not very serious. Apparently my daughter has smelled something, that’s why she refused to get married right away and asked me to travel to get to know her better. Further, they passed by the place where people who are no longer alive rest, and here the young man said: It holds living and non living people. Somewhere further on, they stopped by a green garden about which the young boy made this comment: I don’t know if it’s dry or wet.

The man was left speechless by what his ears heard, but did not make a single comment. They continued on their way until they came to one village where they asked for water to drink, while the villagers rented them and treated them with milk. The young man took the vessel and drank himself first, then gave it to his master. In another village they asked for water and water was given to them. Here, the young man first gave his master a drink, then quenched his thirst for himself. The gentleman said to himself: Not anymore he respected me with milk, I respected him with water. He is no longer to see her with my eyes, my daughter, and no longer to marry him. That’s how valuable this trip was, at least I recognized it.

After this trip they both returned home and the father told his daughter everything he had seen and heard. His daughter, after listening to him all she said to her father: Bah what a boy. Now I agree to marry him. His father opened his eyes hard and asked him: What are you saying? The daughter answered: When he told you about the first herd of small animals how much and how little, he said it because that herd would have had more rams than sheep. When he told you about the second herd how little and how many, he said because that flock will have had more sheep than rams. When you went to the place where people who are no longer alive rest and he told you that it holds living people and non living people, he wanted to tell you that those who are no longer alive and have left behind children, they are still alive.

And those who have not left behind children are no longer alive. When you passed by the green garden and he told you that he does not know if it is dry or wet, he meant that if the owner raised it with debt it is dry, and if he raised it without debt it is wet and green. When he drank milk in front of you, he did because when the milk is poured into the container, the water contained in the container overflows, he drank the water and gave you to drink the second time the milk without water in it. So, when you asked for water and they gave you water, he gave it to you to drink first because it would have been well water and well water comes out a little cloudy, but when is poured into the container, the cloudy part falls to the bottom.

So the father obeyed and the two young people got married. On the first night of marriage, the young man put his hand on the bride’s head and asked: Whose head is this? The girl answered: It was mine, now it is yours, sir. He said: Prepare the spoils because I am not a shepherd, but a king son of the king I was looking for a man like you. This was the story I had prepared for you friends and I really hope you liked it. I should make it clear that these are not all my creations, but I read a lot and I translate the ones I like and share them here with you.