[PW] [Publib] "the horse may talk"

[Monblatt, Bruce]

The anecdote appears in the episode of Six Wives of Henry VIII about Jane Seymour who tells Henry the anecdote and charms him.  The series came out in 1970 but still pops up on PBS every so often.

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From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of GraceAnne Andreassi DeCandido
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 11:24 AM
To: list at project-wombat.org
Cc: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] "the horse may talk"


Cross-posted to several lists, forgive me. 


For decades, I have been telling a story that I believe I learned from
WBAIradio in the early 1970s, identified as a Sufi story. I have never
successfully tracked it down, although my approach has been desultory over
the years. I would be very grateful if a womb at t or a a publibber might be
able to point me in a direction. Here is the story, as I know it. 


A man had offended the king, and was sentenced to death. 
"Oh your majesty!" he pleaded. "Allow me but one year, and I will teach your
horse to talk." 
Astonished, the king agreed. 
The man's friend took him aside and asked, "why did you make such a foolish
promise?" 
The man shrugged. "In a year, the king may die. In a year, I may die. In a
year, the horse may talk." 


The last line has become a family catchphrase in many situation. 


Thank you. GraceAnne 


GraceAnne A. DeCandido 
Reader Writer Reviewer ~  New York City 
Part-time lecturer in children's and YA literature Rutgers SCILS PDS 


Favorite titles 2006 
 <http://www.well.com/user/ladyhawk/books.html>
http://www.well.com/user/ladyhawk/books.html 


Love isn't what you feel. Love is what you do. 
-Madeleine L'Engle, The Wind in the Door 


 
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