Today, I'd like to share a particularly interesting folk tale. The protagonist is Afanti—a well-known and intelligent man.
Afanti was not only humorous but also exceptionally witty, always able to help ordinary people solve their problems with seemingly simple yet ingenious methods.
This story, called "Wisdom Outweighs Wisdom," tells the story of how Afanti, with his ingenious ideas, defeated the self-proclaimed king and saved the entire city.
Let's start from the beginning.
The King's Strange Dream and the "Contest of Wisdom"
Long ago, in a distant land, there lived a king.
This king was a bit overweight and had little to do. He loved to be flattered and praised for his intelligence and wisdom.
One night, the king had a strange dream—he dreamt he had two donkey ears on his head and a donkey tail behind his butt.
In his dream, the people laughed at him and said he was as foolish as a donkey. The king was so angry that he yelled in his sleep, waking himself up.
After waking, the king felt increasingly upset. To prove his intelligence, he came up with an idea—a "wisdom contest."
He planned to have everyone in the kingdom answer his tricky questions. Anyone who couldn't answer would be expelled or even punished.
Doctors and Scholars All Defeated
Initially, the palace's doctors and scholars, confident in their abilities, rushed to the palace to challenge him.
Unexpectedly, the king's questions were so strange and difficult that those who couldn't answer were either scolded or beaten, then driven out in disgrace.
Over time, no one dared to enter the palace to participate in the contest.
Not satisfied with this, the king issued an order: every place in the kingdom must send a person to answer his questions. Those who couldn't answer would be put to death!
This terrified the people. Just when everyone was at their wits' end, Afanti stepped forward. He decided to enter the palace on behalf of the people and compete with the king to see who was smarter.
Question 1: How many stars are there in the sky?
Afanti entered the palace, and the king immediately asked a question that sounded simple, but in reality, it was impossible to answer accurately:
"Tell me, how many stars are there in the sky?"
Afanti pretended to think seriously, then said seriously:
"Your Majesty, I have already counted them. There are a total of 99,999,999,999 stars in the sky, not one more, not one less."
The king was stunned: "Nonsense! How could you know so accurately?"
Afanti smiled: "That's easy. Your Majesty, you can climb up to the sky and count. If you're wrong, come back and tell me."
The king looked up at the sky, but could only mutter to himself—who could climb up to the sky and count? With no other options, he let the question go.
Question 2: Where is the center of the Earth?
Unwilling to give up, the king asked again, "Then do you know where the center of the Earth is?"
Afanti immediately replied, "What a coincidence! I know! The center of the Earth is right under my donkey's right front hoof."
The king sneered, "Impossible! The center of the Earth should be right under my feet!"
Afanti waved his hand, "Then Your Majesty, send someone to measure the entire world. If there's even a slight error, you can arrest me at any time."
The king thought this was a good idea and sent two ministers to measure it. Unexpectedly, after much effort, the ministers couldn't figure it out, and finally admitted that the question was unverifiable.
Third Question: How Long Can You Live?
The king posed an even more sinister question: "Afanti, do you know when you will die?"
Afanti remained calm: "I will die one day before you."
The king's expression changed. He suddenly realized that if what Afanti said was true, then his fate would be tied to Afanti's. He didn't dare ask any more questions.
Banquet Schemes
Although Afanti's answer left the king unable to refute, he remained unconvinced. He feigned joy and invited Afanti to the banquet.
During the banquet, the king and his ministers poured Afanti wine, hoping to get him drunk so they could take advantage of him.
But Afanti saw through their plans—while pretending to be drunk, he secretly poured the wine down his donkey's mouth.
Failed Assassination
That night, the king sent someone to sneak into Afanti's room to assassinate him. The assassin rushed in, hacked the bed to pieces, and, believing Afanti to be dead, immediately returned to report.
The king clapped his hands in delight, but then remembered Afanti's words: "I will die a day before you."
This unnerved him, causing him to suffer nightmares all night long, including one in which Afanti approached him with a knife.https://fairytales.cc/avantis-wisdom-story-wiser-than-wisdom-overcoming-might-with-cleverness/
The King Was Completely Convinced
The next morning, the king, still terrified, cried "Help!" when Afanti actually walked in, saying he was there to say goodbye.
The king then realized that Afanti was not only intelligent but also courageous, and he wasn't afraid of him at all.
So, he sincerely invited Afanti to become prime minister.
But Afanti waved his hand, saying, "Your Majesty, I have already chosen a new prime minister for you. Please go and see."
As soon as the king entered the hall, he saw a donkey wearing an official hat, braying "Ah-ah-ah."
The king was so angry that he almost fainted.
Afanti then mounted his donkey, smiled, and left the palace, continuing to help those in need.
Lessons from the Story
This story teaches us that wisdom isn't just about memorizing and calculating; it's more about coming up with unexpected solutions at critical moments.
Faced with the king's challenges, Afanti remained unafraid. Instead, he used his wit to resolve the crisis and protect the people.
In life, we all face difficult situations. Instead of complaining and being afraid, we can learn from Afanti – think calmly, change our perspective, and you might just find a way to turn defeat into victory.