A man who was very wise and clever was, however, very poor. So he went about crying, “Why has God dealt so harshly with me?” The word reached the king who called him and asked him what he meant. The man told him that he was very clever in many things and yet was starving. The king ordered a sack of corn to be given to him every week. Whenever he received it he said, “Nature.” After some time a merchant brought a wonderful ring with a precious stone, which he claimed to be of one piece. The wise man was called in and said that the precious stone was of two pieces. He put the ring in boiling water and the pieces came asunder. He was appointed councillor and received two sacks of corn a week. Again he said, “Nature.” Another time a beautiful horse was brought to the king. The man examined it and said that after a run of twenty miles, the horse would get vicious and kill the rider. A trial was made of it with a man condemned to death and the statement was found to be correct. Three
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sacks were, therefore, delivered to him. He again said, "Nature." One day at a banquet he again said, "Nature." His neighbour the minister laughed and the king was told the reason. He called the man aside and the man said, "If the king promise not to kill me I will reveal the secret." The king promised and the man told him that he was not the son of his reputed father but of one who threshed the corn and ground it. His mother was asked and she confessed the truth of the statement. Great riches were, there fore, given to the man to keep the secret. Thus wisdom sustains the possessor of it.