The Peasant’s Wise Daughter

In a small village at the edge of a great kingdom, there lived a poor peasant named Thomas who worked hard tending his modest plot of land. Thomas was an honest, simple man who had been widowed young and was left to raise his daughter Elena alone. Though they had very little in terms of material wealth, Thomas had given Elena something far more valuable—an education and the encouragement to think for herself.

Elena was an extraordinary girl. Though she wore simple peasant clothes and lived in a humble cottage, her mind was as sharp as any blade and her wisdom surpassed that of people many times her age. She could solve any puzzle, answer any riddle, and find solutions to problems that left others completely baffled.

“Father,” Elena would often say as they worked together in their small garden, “it seems to me that wisdom is the one treasure that grows greater when you share it with others.”

Thomas would smile proudly at his daughter’s insights. “You are wiser than any scholar, my dear Elena. I only wish the world could see the brilliant mind hidden beneath your peasant’s dress.”

One day, while Thomas was plowing his field, his plow struck something hard buried in the earth. Digging carefully, he discovered an ancient golden mortar—a beautiful vessel used for grinding grain or spices, clearly of great value and incredible craftsmanship.

Thomas was overjoyed by this unexpected treasure. “Elena!” he called excitedly, “look what I’ve found! This golden mortar will solve all our financial worries. I must take it to the king immediately and present it as a gift. Surely he will reward us handsomely for our honesty in returning such a valuable artifact.”

But Elena examined the golden mortar with a thoughtful frown. “Father,” she said carefully, “I think you should reconsider this plan. If you present a mortar to the king, he will surely ask where the pestle is. When you cannot produce it, he might become suspicious and think you have stolen part of a set and kept the pestle for yourself.”

Thomas dismissed his daughter’s concerns with a wave of his hand. “Nonsense, Elena. The king is a just ruler. He will appreciate my honesty and reward me accordingly. Your worries are unfounded.”

Despite Elena’s repeated warnings, Thomas took the golden mortar to the royal palace and presented it to the king as Elena had feared he would.

The king examined the beautiful artifact with great interest, turning it over in his hands and admiring its intricate craftsmanship. Then, just as Elena had predicted, he looked up at Thomas with a suspicious expression.

“This is indeed a valuable mortar,” the king said slowly, “but where is the pestle that belongs with it? A mortar without its pestle is only half a set. I suspect you have found both pieces and are attempting to keep the pestle for yourself while presenting only the mortar to gain my favor.”

“Your Majesty,” Thomas protested desperately, “I swear to you that I found only the mortar! I would never dream of deceiving you or keeping anything that rightfully belongs to the crown!”

But the king’s suspicions had been aroused, and he refused to believe Thomas’s protestations of innocence. “You will remain in my dungeon until you produce the missing pestle,” the king declared, and he had Thomas dragged away to the castle prison.

In his cell, Thomas paced back and forth, lamenting his fate. “Oh, if only I had listened to Elena!” he moaned aloud. “She warned me exactly what would happen, but I was too proud and greedy to heed her wise counsel. My daughter is far wiser than her old fool of a father.”

The castle guards overheard Thomas’s lamentations and reported his words to the king. The king’s curiosity was piqued by the mention of a wise daughter.

“Bring this peasant before me again,” the king commanded. “I wish to hear more about this supposedly wise daughter he mentioned.”

When Thomas was brought before the throne once more, the king questioned him about Elena. “You spoke of a wise daughter. Tell me about this girl and her wisdom.”

Thomas, despite his current predicament, could not help but speak proudly of Elena. “Your Majesty, my daughter Elena possesses a mind sharper than any sword. She can solve riddles that baffle scholars, see through deceptions that fool merchants, and predict consequences that escape even experienced advisors. She warned me precisely about what would happen if I brought you the mortar without the pestle, but I was too foolish to listen.”

The king was intrigued by this description. “If your daughter is truly as wise as you claim,” he said, “then perhaps she can solve a problem for me. I will present her with a riddle. If she answers it correctly, I will free you and reward you both. If she fails, your punishment will be doubled.”

Thomas had no choice but to agree to this challenge. A messenger was sent to fetch Elena, who came to the palace dressed in her simple peasant clothes but carrying herself with quiet dignity.

“So,” the king said when Elena was brought before him, “you are the peasant girl whose wisdom supposedly surpasses that of educated nobles. I have a riddle for you to solve.”

Elena curtseyed politely. “I am honored that Your Majesty would test my humble abilities. I will do my best to answer whatever question you pose.”

The king smiled, certain that he would easily stump this simple peasant girl. “Here is your riddle: Come to me not walking, not riding, not naked, not clothed, bringing me a gift that is not a gift. If you can solve this riddle and fulfill its requirements, I will free your father and grant you both a reward.”

Elena listened carefully to the riddle, her mind working quickly to understand its seemingly contradictory requirements. The courtiers whispered among themselves, certain that no one could possibly fulfill such impossible conditions.

“Your Majesty,” Elena said calmly, “I believe I understand your riddle. Give me three days to prepare, and I will return to fulfill your requirements.”

The king agreed, amused by the girl’s confidence and curious to see what she would attempt.

Elena spent the three days carefully planning her solution. On the appointed day, she returned to the palace in a manner that left the entire court speechless with amazement.

Elena arrived riding upon a large goat, but with her feet dragging on the ground so that she was neither walking nor properly riding. She wore a large fishing net draped around her body, so that she was neither naked nor properly clothed, as the net covered her but was not true clothing. In her hands, she carried a dove.

When she reached the king’s throne, Elena released the dove, which flew directly to the king and then flew away. “Your Majesty,” Elena said with a bow, “I have brought you a gift that is not a gift—a dove that was yours for a moment but then flew free, so you possessed it but do not keep it.”

The king stared at Elena in amazement. She had indeed solved his impossible riddle, fulfilling every contradictory requirement with brilliant creativity and logical thinking.

“Remarkable!” the king exclaimed. “In all my years of rule, I have never encountered such clever problem-solving. You have not only answered my riddle but demonstrated wisdom that would be valuable in governing a kingdom.”

True to his word, the king immediately freed Thomas and rewarded both father and daughter with gold and land. But more than that, he was so impressed with Elena’s intelligence that he offered her a position as one of his advisors.

“Your Majesty is too kind,” Elena replied, “but I wonder if I might be permitted to prove my worth through service rather than simply accepting an appointment. Perhaps there are problems in your kingdom that could benefit from fresh perspectives.”

The king was even more impressed by Elena’s humility and eagerness to be useful rather than simply rewarded. “Very well,” he said. “I will give you a trial period as a royal advisor. Show me how your wisdom can benefit my people, and your position will be made permanent.”

Elena proved to be an extraordinarily valuable advisor. Her ability to see through complex problems to simple solutions, her talent for understanding the needs of common people, and her skill at resolving disputes fairly made her indispensable to the king’s administration.

She helped resolve trade disputes between merchants, found ways to improve crop yields for farmers, and developed systems for ensuring that justice was administered fairly regardless of a person’s social status. Her solutions were always practical, fair, and beneficial to the greatest number of people.

One of Elena’s most important contributions was establishing a system where people of any background could petition the king directly if they believed they had been treated unjustly. This system, which became known as “Elena’s Court,” ensured that wisdom and truth were valued more than wealth or noble birth.

The king came to rely on Elena’s counsel more than that of any other advisor. Her insights were so valuable that he began consulting her on the most important matters of state, from tax policies to foreign relations.

“Elena,” the king said one day, “your wisdom has transformed my kingdom for the better. I have learned that intelligence and good judgment are far more valuable than noble bloodlines or ancient titles. You have shown me that true worth comes from character and capability, not from birth circumstances.”

Elena smiled humbly. “Your Majesty, I have simply tried to apply common sense and consideration for others to the problems at hand. Wisdom is not the exclusive possession of any particular class of people—it can be found in any heart that truly seeks the good of others.”

Years later, when Elena had become one of the most respected advisors in the kingdom, her story became a legend told throughout the land. It reminded people that intelligence, wisdom, and good judgment are the true measures of a person’s worth, and that these qualities can be found in the humblest cottage as well as in the grandest palace.

Elena never forgot her humble origins, and she used her position to ensure that other people from modest backgrounds had opportunities to contribute their talents to the kingdom’s welfare. She established schools where children of all social classes could learn together, and she created programs that identified and developed talent regardless of a person’s family circumstances.

The peasant’s wise daughter became a symbol of the truth that wisdom and virtue are the only true nobility, and that a society prospers most when it values intelligence and good character over inherited status or accumulated wealth.

Thomas lived to see his daughter become one of the most influential people in the kingdom, and he spent his final years proudly telling anyone who would listen about the day his wise daughter solved the king’s impossible riddle and proved that true nobility comes from within.

Elena’s legacy lived on long after her death, inspiring countless young people to develop their minds and use their abilities in service of justice and the common good. Her story became a reminder that every person, regardless of their background, has the potential to contribute something valuable to the world if they are given the opportunity to develop and share their talents.