Clever Manka, Part 2

Now, just to refresh your memory, the shepherd, or Manka's father, has been told by the judge to take ten eggs and bring them to Manka and ask her to hatch the ten eggs by tomorrow, the very next day, and to bring the ten chicks to the judge.

Let's find out what she does.

When the shepherd reached home and gave Manka the judge's message, Manka laughed and said, Take a handful of millet and go right back to the judge.

Say to him, My daughter sends you this millet.

She says that if you plant it, grow it, and have it harvested by tomorrow, she'll bring you the ten chicks, and you can feed them the ripe grain.

When the judge heard this, he laughed heartily.

That's a clever girl of yours, he told the shepherd.

You know, I think I'd like to marry her.

Tell her to come and see me.

But she must come neither by day nor by night, neither riding nor walking, neither dressed nor undressed.

When Manka received this message, she waited until the next dawn when night was gone and day not yet arrived.

Then she wrapped herself in a fishnet and throwing one leg over a goat's back and keeping one foot on the ground, she went to the judge's house.

Now, I ask you, did she go dressed? No, she wasn't dressed.

A fishnet isn't clothing.

Did she go undressed? Of course not, for wasn't she covered with a fishnet? Did she walk to the judge's house? No, she didn't walk, for she went with one leg thrown over a goat.

Then did she ride? Of course she didn't ride, for wasn't she walking on one foot? When she reached the judge's house, she called out, Here I am, Mr.

Judge, and I've come neither by day nor by night, neither riding nor walking, neither dressed nor undressed.

The young judge was so delighted with Manka's cleverness and so pleased with her that he proposed to her at once and in a short time married her.

But understand, my dear Manka, he said, you are not to use that cleverness of yours at my expense.

I won't have you interfering in any of my cases.

In fact, if ever you give advice to anyone who comes to me for judgment, I'll turn you out of my house at once and send you home to your father.

All went well for a time.

Manka busied herself in her housekeeping and was careful not to interfere in any of the judge's cases.

Then one day, two farmers came to the judge to have a dispute settled.

One of the farmers owned a horse which had given birth in the marketplace.