How to Identify the Mother Horse

An envoy visited a neighboring kingdom under the guise of friendship, bringing two horses as gifts. However, his true intent was to test the kingdom’s wisdom and subjugate it.

Presenting the horses to the king, the envoy posed a challenge:

“Can you tell which of these horses is the mother and which is the foal?”

The two horses were nearly identical in size and appearance. The king and his court grew anxious—failing to answer correctly would put the kingdom’s honor at stake. That evening, the king’s closest minister returned home, burdened with worry. Seeing his distress, his mother reassured him:

“Leave the horses unfed for a day, then offer them porridge. One will eat greedily, while the other will wait and only eat what remains. The one that waits is the mother.”

The minister followed her advice and correctly identified the mother horse. Astonished by this wisdom, the envoy left in admiration and never again looked down on the kingdom.