CLEVER WIFE

There was a village under the foothills of Mount Fuji where the clever
woman lived with her husband named Yuriko and their village were ruled by a
district official. Yuriko is a good and understanding husband but not clever as
his wife. Indeed his wife can answer questions coming from their neighbors,
despite how difficult it is. By that it was there stepping stone for becoming a
rich citizen in their village.
Yuriko felt nothing but an admiration and proudness towards his wife
and he called it such different names: Clever Wife, Brilliant Mind and A
Wisdom with Precious. He wanted the whole village how great his wife are
and to the extent that their great prosperity was due to her. He was thinking
over the day on how he would makes his wife happy as he too. So, at last he
posted a sign just above their door so that whoever pass by them could read
it. And this is how it goes:
“THE BRILLIANT MIND WHO CAN DEAL WITH EVERYTHING,
LIVES HERE.”

No one attempt to object about his claim except their district official.
“What a vain and arrogant,” he utter. In fact he is the one and he didn’t
even know who is Yuriko and the capacity of his wife. He can’t even accept
that there is someone who is brilliant than him. “I will punish him for making
a claim such this,” he muttered.
Afterwards he returned to his office having a disappointment look
plastered in his face and he sent a messenger to summon Yuriko.
At blast Yuriko was very upset and confused at the same time. “I
am a law-abiding citizen, nothing like this happen to me before and I
don’t even have a committed such crime for having this summon on
me,” Yuriko complain.
On the other side his wife was just there sitting and you can see any
trace of worriedness on her face. “I think the sign you put on the door
must have angered the official,” she said “Go for you to confirm, when
you return we shall decide what to do then.”
Yuriko went with the messenger. But soon as he saw the official,
nervousness and fear began to tremble him. He sat on the huge desk feeling
uncomfortable at the same time.
“So you’re the one who puts up sign to acknowledge ones
cleverness,” he said, where you can determined how anger he is. “You
boast that no problem is too great for a brilliant mind, do you? Well, I
just have a three task here for you to do.”
Yuriko bowed as the officer slam his table.
“One,” he begin. “You shall make a mat as long as a road.”
“Two!” he utter again. “You shall produce a salt as much as the
sand in the beach.”
“Sand three” Yuriko winced as he waited for the last order he will
follow. “You shall raise a pig as heavy as a mountain.”
The official looked very proud of his self-having a punishment like that
and he continued in a voice of quiet ignorance.
“And if you don’t complete them by the third sunrise of the new
moon, you will see what I think of your boasting.”
Yuriko bowed and left the office in dismay. Words were playing on his
mind that not even wonderful cleverness will be able to help him in his task.
“These tasks will take longer than a lifetime,” he conclude.
After arriving on their house he discuss what was all about the summon
and the punishments given by the officer.
“There is a simple solution,” she said. “The official will see that
your sign was not an idle boast.” Then she began to explain her plan to
her husband.
The next morning, Yuriko went again to the office of district official.
Having him a ruler, a measuring jar and a set of scale. The officer was
surprised by his sudden appearance. “Your honor,” Yuriko bowed. “I
return to ask further instructions.”
“I was about to begin making a mat but I come up with a problem, I
needed to know how long the road is before I could measure the
materials I’ll going to use. So that you can measure the road, I have
brought you this ruler,”
 “Also, I must know much sand there in the beach, so that I can
make sure the right amount of salt. I have brought you this jug to
measure the sand.”
“And to know how heavy the pig that I will going to raise, I must
know how heavy the mountain is, so I brought you a scale.”
“After you provide me with each of these measurement then I will
going to start my tasks you’ve given to me officer,” he continue.
The district official frowned and he compose his self. He’s even aware
that it would take a lifetime to give him the appropriate measurements he will
be needed.
“You may go,” he said. “And the tasks may wait,” he continue.
Yuriko turned to go, he was almost heard the murmur of the official,
“The sign hang on the door was true after all.”
Then when he arrived at their house he tells everything what happen to
his wife.

The end!