An old story begins when a poor farmer’s mare gives birth in the village marketplace…
The frightened newborn took shelter under a rich man’s wagon, and the rich man claimed the foal as his own. The young burgermeister was inexperienced, and did not want to displease the rich man. To settle the dispute, he told the two men to return the next day with answers to three riddles; the one with the best answers would be awarded the foal. Surely the rich man could outfox an old peasant, and the matter would be done.
“What is the richest thing in the world?” asked the burgermeister. “What is the swiftest thing in the world? And what is the sweetest thing in the world?”
The farmer was distressed. He didn’t know the answers, and he couldn’t afford to lose the foal. But his daughter was very clever.
“Don’t worry, Papa. Here’s what you must say…”
The next day, the rich man puffed out his chest and said, “The swiftest thing in the world is my coach and pair, for no other horse or wagon ever passes me on the road.”
The richest thing is the gold in my treasure chest, for am I not the richest man in the village? And the sweetest thing is cakes made with honey from my own hives.”
“Mmm,” said the burgermeister, turning to the farmer. “And have you answers to my riddles, old man?”
“Yes,” said the farmer. “The richest thing in the world is the earth, for do not all riches come from the earth?”
“The swiftest thing in the world is thought.
For a thought can travel to the ends of the earth and back again…
…in the blink of an eye.”
“And the sweetest thing in the world is sleep. For when one is sad or tired, what can be sweeter?”
The mayor had no choice but to award the foal to the farmer. “But you didn’t think of those answers yourself. Tell me who helped you.”
The farmer confessed that his daughter had solved the riddles for him. The burgermeister was impressed and intrigued. He asked to meet the farmer’s daughter.
But that is a story for another day…
All words and images copyright 2013 Naomi Baltuck
Click here for more interpretations of The Weekly Travel Theme: Sweet.
Perhaps black and white is easier on the mind as well. No difficult decisions, no wavering, no questioning right from wrong. But real life is in color, with many subtle hues and shades. Condemned prisoners who crossed over The Bridge of Sighs in Venice got one last peek at their beloved city. Did they see their world in terms of black and white, or in color? Perhaps one’s perception depended upon whether one was looking in or out, whether one was coming or going. 
It is easy to cast judgements, until you have walked a mile in another person’s shoes, looked into her eyes, heard his story. The world is not black and white. It is the color of flesh and blood, with many gray areas. What is the color of a human tear?
Writing Between the Lines 