THE KHAN AND THE WISE GIRL (literature)

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THE KHAN AND THE WISE GIRL

By : Ian Andrian

Once upon time, there lived a cruel and curming Khan. He was a bad ruler. He made his people work very hard and then taxed them heavily. When they refused to pay their taxes threw them into prison after his soldiers had severely beaten them. They rode from farm to larm demanding sacks of corn. Chckens , goats and cows as payment for taxes. The people who lived on these farms were poor and could not fight the soldiers . Often the Khan’s soldiers burnt their farsm if they could not pav. Then they rode away on their fine horses. Langhing at the misary of these poor people . There seemed no end to the Khan’s cruelly.

One day his soldiers gathered all the people in a greet square in the town sentre for a meeting. The chief of the solder spoken to them. The great and moststone khan has made a list of all his subject. All citizens will be required will be answer three one lions each. Those who are able to answer these question will go free. Those who line to answer the questions correctly will be sent to prison and will be killed.

The people began to whisper amother among themselves. They had had enouugh of their ruler’s crucily . For years he’s had great power over us and he’s used this power unjustly. It’s time we had another ruler. But the people were poor and the khan had many soldiers who would kill them if they rose against him. “What can we do when we have no weapons?” they said. So they bowed theirhead and left the square . They knew their ruler was mad but the was nothing they could do

They khan’s soldiers roamed the countryside. The head each family was brought to the palace for khan, helped by his soldiers questioned them. Those who were unaeble to answers the the difficult questions were sent to prison. “ first starve them and then cut off their heads,” the Khan told his soldiers. They obeyed him and many children lost their fathers during this terrible time.

On a lonely farm, far from the Khan’s palace there lived an old farmer. He had only one daugther. His wife had died many years ago. He received an order to report to the Khan’s palace for questioning. I’m a poor, uneducated man, Daughter. All my life I’ve had no time to go to school or read any books. I know i shall not be able to answer the Khan’s questions , he told his daughter sadly.

Don’t worry, Father. I’ll go in your place. I’ll tell them that you are unable to walk as you’ve lost the use of your legs which is true , I sad the girl.

So the brave, young girl walked to the palace of the Khan many miles away. After walking through hill and valieys she arrived at the gates of palace. “ me the the khan i’ve come in my fhather’s is place as he iss too ill to walk here” she told the chief of the soldiers.

You are a brave, young girl. Do you know what the khan would do to you if do you answers corecctly ? he said. The girl nodded. She hed heard of the cruely of the ruler , it was nothing new to her.

The girl was brough before the Khan. “Great khan, this girl has come insteadof her father who is ill.” Said the chief soldier. Bravcly the girl looked off at the ruler seated onn a high, golden throne. The khan stared at her with is evil face but the girl was not afraid

I’ve come to answer your questions and then i must hurry home as my father needs me. He’s old and ill, Said the girl. The Khan then began to question her.

“What’s keenest? What’s fastest? And what’s the most just? He asked her.

The girl though for a while and then answered. Sire,the keenest is the ear which hears all things, even the whispering of the slightest breeze. The fastest is the eye which sees all things, even the wings of a bird high in the sky. And the most just, Sire, as everybody knows, is your anger, said the girl with a smile. She knew that the Khan liked to be praised and she was right. He smiled at her.

You shall go free today, as you’ve answered all the questions correetly, tomorrow I’ll test your wisdom further an swered the Khan with a sly smile.

The girl knew she had been tricked. She had already,answered three questions. Now the Khan wished her to be questioned further. ‘Sire, the chief of your soldiers said that each person had only to answer three questions,’ she said.

‘Ah yes, but that was only the first part,’lied the Khan. The next morning, the Khan again sent the for wise girl. ‘Yesterday you were lucky. The questions were too easy. Here are two woodeen boards. I wish you to make them into two beautiful dresses for yourself,’ said the mad Khan. The girl nodded and then when into the palace garden. She colieeted some stones and gave them to the chief soldier.

Tell the Khan that I’ll do as he has asked me, but first i need some strong thread. Ask him to have some strong thread made out of these stones ,said the brave girl.

The next day, the Khan’s messenger brought her fifteen freshly laid eggs. The Great Khan says that he wishes these eggs to be hatched by dawn tomorrow. The girl went out into a field of barley. She took some barley seeds and gave them to the messenger. Tell our Great Ruler to saw these seeds and get a harvest by the morning or his chickens may die of hunger , said the girl boldly. When the Khan heard how bodly she had answered the chief of his soldiers, he sent for her again.

‘So you’ve answered my questions and also shown me how foolish I am. I should really order my soldiers to beat you and put you in prison.’ Said the Khan angrily.

Sire, you are known throughout the land for your cruelty. How much better it would be if a ruler was known for his justice and mercy instead.’ Said the brave young girl. The soldiers who surrounded the Khan in the throne room was shocked to bear her speak so boldly.

‘Let me throw her in prison for boldness, said the chief of the soldiers.

The Khan stopped him. He stared for a long time at the girl. You’re the youngest person to have been questioned by me. Yet you’re not only brave but wise. You’ve made me see how unjustly I’ve treated my people all these years, said the Khan.

The girl was set free and joyfully she returned to her father. Because of her the Khan stopped treating his people badly. In stead he changed his evil ways and began to help them once more. The girl lived happily in her village and soon she was married to the most handsome man there. 

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