“Well, Reverend Abbot,” the Emperor said with serenity, “have you found out the answers?”
“Yes, certainly, sire.”
“Speak, I am listening.”
“Sire, the sea is as deep as a stone’s throw.
“To measure the distance between the earth and the sun, you only need one cow’s tail, if it is long enough.
“Do you wish to know, sire, what you are thinking? Well, at this moment, you think, sire, that the Abbot of the convent is in your presence, and it is only his shepherd.”
The Emperor laughed so heartily that if he has not stopped laughing he is laughing still.
