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a brave man, so he asked, `It is impossible to imagine that you are weeping because you are going to die this evening. It is impossible to conceive. You are a brave man, and I have known your bravery so many times, so it must be something else. What is it? If I can do something I will do it.'
The prime minister said, `Now nothing can be done and it is of no use to say to you, but if you insist, then I am still your servant -- I will obey you and tell you.'
The emperor insisted, so the prime minister said, `It is not my death, because that is not of much importance -- man has to die one day; any day death will be -- but I am weeping because I have seen your horse standing outside.'
The emperor asked, `Because of the horse? Why?'
The prime minister said, `I was looking for my whole life for this type of horse, because I have learned one ancient secret -- that I can teach horses to fly -- but only of a particular type. This is the type, and this is my last day. I am not worried about my death, but just that one ancient art will be lost with me. That's why I am weeping.'
The emperor was thrilled, excited -- if the horse could fly, this would be something -- so he said, `How many days will it take?'
The prime minister said, `At least one year -- and then this horse will start flying.'
So the emperor said, `Okay, for one year I will make you free, but remember, if in one year the horse is not flying, you will be again sentenced and hanged. But if the horse is flying, you will be forgiven. And not only forgiven, I will give you half of my kingdom, because I will be the first emperor in history who has a flying horse. So come out of the jail and don't weep.'
The prime minister rode, happy and laughing, on the horse to his house. But the wife was still weeping and crying and she said, `I have heard, the news has reached before you -- but one year only? And I know you know no art, and this horse cannot fly. This is just a trick, a deception, so if you could ask for one year why couldn't you ask for ten years?'
The prime minister said, `That would be too much. As it is, it is already too much. The horse flying
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