The witty reply
Once there was a king in Georgia, who was so angry with one of his noblemen that he asked his servants to chain him and throw him into the dungeon. Just as the man was being taken away, the king said, “I will set you free on one condition!”
The nobleman looked at the king hopefully.
“You should bring me a horse which is not grey or black, or brown or bay,” said the king. “It should not be white or cream, or chestnut or chocolate-coloured….” The king went on naming the colours that he didn’t want the horse to have and the nobleman realised that the king had no plans to set him free. He quickly thought of a reply that could possibly get him back his freedom.
“I’ll get you such a horse, Your Majesty,” he said to the king, “but you must set me free first so that I can find you one.”
The king asked his servants to release the man, knowing fully well that the task was well nigh impossible.
As soon as he was set free, the nobleman said to the king, “I’ll find your horse but please send the groom to collect the horse on any day that suits Your Majesty as long as it’s not a Monday or a Tuesday, a Wednesday or a Thursday and definitely not a Friday, Saturday or a Sunday!”
The man’s clever reply pleased the king who forgot all his anger and reinstated him in the royal court.
