Thai legend: the four riddles

The Four Riddles tells the story of a king who was a little too naïve about the women he considered perfect

Once upon a time there was a young king who had blind faith in women. What could be more pure and virtuous, he thought?

One day, while riding his horse, he meets a couple of woodcutters who immediately bow down to him.

Always keen to know how his subjects' lives are going, he asks the man how he spends the money he earns.

- I divide it into four parts," replies the man.

I bury the first, give the second to my creditors, throw the third into the river, and finally give the last share to my enemies.

Intrigued by these enigmatic words, the king dismounts and takes the woodcutter aside to explain.

- What I meant, my king, was that I spend the first quarter on alms.

I give the second quarter to my parents, I lose the third in a game, and finally I give the fourth to my wife.

The king sees the wisdom in the first three comments, but he cannot agree with the last one.

He nevertheless takes note of these answers and makes the woodcutter swear never to repeat them to anyone else.

Back at the palace, he immediately issues a decree that he will offer a golden nugget to the one who can solve the four riddles.

The days went by, with candidates coming to the palace from all over the kingdom and even from elsewhere, but the solutions remained mysterious.

Meanwhile the woodcutter's wife, who has heard about the decree and remembers the meeting with the king, begs her husband to give her the answers.

By dint of nightly cajoling, she achieves her goal, even though her husband makes her swear never to repeat it to anyone.

The very next day, she rushes to the palace and provides the four correct answers.

But when the king gives her the nugget, he recognises her and makes her confess that it was her husband who gave her the information.

The king immediately summons the woodcutter to prison.

However, when the king reproaches him for his treachery, the man points out that this is proof of the truth of his fourth sentence.

Dismayed, the king has him released and decides to be wary of women.

End

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