John’s Fable

Once upon a time, there was an extremely rich man who was terribly bored. He was so bored he promised a chest full of gold to anyone who would come up with a lie he’d believe. Not just any lie, though; it had to be such an outrageous lie that he would have no choice - he’d have to say no such thing could have ever happened.

He ordered his servant John to prepare the gold and the chest. People from every corner of the town, county and country soon gathered in his luxurious house to tell their lies. And indeed, they all stood before him and they all lied through their teeth.

They lied about dangerous sea creatures and poor people meeting pretty princesses and eating disgusting food like slime, to name a few. But each of them left empty-handed. The rich man always sent them away, saying their fables could be true and giving them an example of how.

“If the dangerous sea creature was really just a friendly whale…”

“If the pretty princess was sociable and kind…”

“If the slime was good for the health…”

So with everyone gone, he ordered John to carry the gold back into the treasury.

But instead, John mustered his courage and asked his master if he too could try his luck telling him an unbelievable tale.

“Go ahead, you can tell me any tale you want, my boy,” the master encouraged him.

And so John began: “Once I was in heaven and it was really nice and cosy there. But after some time, I got restless and lonely and decided to return back on earth.”

“Yes, yes, I believe you. Every word” yawned the master from boredom.

John kept talking: “But no matter how hard I thought about…