The Obedient Servant and the Wisdom of the Elders (A Tale from Mongolian Folklore)
Once upon a time, in the vast and beautiful steppes of Mongolia, there was a province ruled by very harsh laws and strange customs. The people of this land lived by hunting, herding, and moving from place to place. They believed that when elderly people passed the age of sixty, they became a burden to society because they could no longer do heavy physical work. Tragically, there was a cruel custom that required the community to get rid of them.
In this province lived a kind and devoted young man named Mehari, who worked as an official for the ruler of the land, known as the "Khan". That year, Hasal, Mehari’s beloved father, reached the age of seventy, and the heartbreaking moment demanded by the unjust law had arrived.
Mehari and his wife prepared a sad farewell dinner for the old man. The father, peaceful and calm, smiled warmly at his son and said: — My son, I have lived a long life and seen many lands. My heart has no regrets. Do as the Khan commands while I am asleep. Your mother is surely waiting for me in the heavens.
But Mehari’s heart was filled with so much love and respect for his father that he could never bring himself to harm him. His wife wept and said: — My dear, let us think of a way to save our father instead. That would be much better!
Together, they came up with a clever plan. They dug a secret hiding place (a small cellar) beneath the floor of their yurt to hide the old man. To trick the Khan’s soldiers who came to verify his death, the wife sacrificed a sheep and threw it into the fire. Mehari then claimed that his father had died of a highly contagious skin disease, and they had to burn the body immediately to prevent an epidemic. The trick worked perfectly, and the wise old man's life was saved.
Time passed. One day, an arrogant ruler from a neighboring province named Trikel attacked the land with a massive army. However, Trikel did not want to use force right away. He wanted to humiliate the Khan and prove the cleverness of his own people by throwing down a challenge: — I will give you a riddle. If you can solve it, I will leave with my army. If not, I will take over your country tomorrow!
The riddle involved a tree trunk that had been carved to look perfectly identical at both ends. Trikel challenged anyone to guess which end was the root (the bottom) and which end was the branches (the top). The Khan, his ministers, and all the young warriors were completely stumped because none of them had the necessary experience.
Mehari went home with a heavy heart and told the story to his hidden father. The old man smiled and said: — That is very simple, my son! The root end is always the heaviest. Tomorrow, go and throw the trunk into the river. The heavier end will dip slightly and lead the way, floating forward with the water's current.
The next morning, Mehari followed his father's advice in front of both rulers. Trikel, astonished by the young man's intelligence, was forced to retreat in a furious rage.
However, he returned a week later with an even bigger army and a gigantic, powerful elephant. He issued a new challenge: — This time, if you do not guess before tomorrow morning which tiny animal makes this massive elephant tremble with fear, he will crush your yurts and your entire city!
Everyone panicked. Elephants did not live in their region, and no one had ever seen one before. The Khan ordered Mehari not to leave his tent until he found the answer. Mehari tried to guess and told the Khan: — Perhaps it is the tiger, Your Majesty, with its strength and sharp claws! Hearing this, Trikel burst out laughing: — You fool! Elephants hunt tigers and kill them with a single blow of their trunk!
The country was on the brink of destruction. Mehari ran back to his father, who told him with the wisdom of his years: — Do not worry, my son. Despite its immense size, the elephant is a very nervous and timid animal. It has a terrifying fear of the tiny mouse when it jumps around its feet!
Mehari did not lose a single second. He gathered the children of the village, caught a bunch of mice, and put them into bags.
When the elephant advanced to destroy the camp, Mehari released the mice around its enormous feet. Panicked, the colossus began to trumpet and fled at full speed. Trikel’s army was thrown into complete chaos and suffered a crushing defeat. Peace finally returned to the land, all thanks to the old man's idea.
The Khan summoned Mehari and said, mixing anger with astonishment: — How did you know all these answers? You almost got us crushed with your tiger story! Tell me the truth!
Mehari knelt down and answered courageously: — Forgive me, O Khan... I did not kill my father when he reached sixty. I hid him, and it is this wise old man who gave me all these solutions and saved our homeland.
The Khan was deeply moved. Regret for maintaining such a cruel custom filled his heart. He said to Mehari: — Raise your head, Mehari. You are a true hero. Your courage and love for your father have saved our nation. Your father's wisdom has taught me that the elders are the blessing and the thinking mind of our people.
From that day on, the ruler abolished the unjust custom forever and ordered the people to take great care of their elderly parents and respect them. As for the devoted Mehari, the Khan appointed him as his very first counselor, allowing everyone to live in safety and happiness thanks to "the wisdom of the elders and the love of the children."