A great scholar visited the royal court. His followers claimed that no feat on earth was impossible for him to accomplish. So much power he had acquired from his studies!
There was none in the whole kingdom to challenge him. In fact, all other scholars would shiver before him.
The king felt sad that his own scholars were no match for a stranger. His courtiers shared his anguish.
But not Andare, the court jester!
One day Andare casually asked the scholar: “If nothing on earth is impossible for you, Sir, I believe you will have little difficulty in eating a pancake and its shadow!”
The great scholar blinked. “Eat a pancake and its shadow! What nonsense do you speak?
“Only one who eats knows that it is no-nonsense but very tasteful!” said Andare.
“Are you mad?” blurted out the scholar.
“No. Not yet…” calmly said Andare.
“You speak foolishly! No one under the sun will be able to do such a thing,” observed the scholar.
“But I can do it, right under the sun!”
“Can you?”
“I can, on condition that you publicly touch my feet after I have done it!” said Andare.
The entire court kept looking at the scholar to see how he responds to Andare’s challenge. The scholar looked uncertain for a moment, but then said, “Very well, let’s see you perform it!”
It was decided that Andare. will perform the feat the next day.
It was a bright day. The king, the scholar, and the courtiers followed Andare to the palace terrace. A delicious pancake was brought from the royal kitchen.
Andare’s shadow fell on the floor. Andare took the pancake in his hand and told them, “Now look alternately at me and my shadow.”
As everyone looked at Andare and his shadow, he began to eat the pancake. Andare’s shadow looked like eating the pancake’s shadow.
“Don’t you see, Your Highness, how I eat the pancake here and its shadow there?” asked Andare his mouth still filled with a big bite.
Suddenly all burst out laughing. And, nobody noticed when the great scholar had sneaked away.
“But he forgot to touch my feet!” complained Andare. A messenger was sent to fetch the scholar. But he had already left the royal guest house. “That is better than his touching your feet,” said the happy king.
