I might teach the horse to fly

The sultan of Persia had sentenced two men to death.

One of them, knowing how much the sultan loves his stallion, offered to teach the horse to fly within a year in return for his life.

The sultan, fancying the rider of the only flying horse in the world, agreed.

The other prisoner looked at his friend in disbelief.

“You know horses don’t fly, what made you come up with a crazy idea like that? You are only postponing the inevitable.”

“Not so,” said the first prisoner, “I am actually given myself four chances for freedom. First, the sultan might die during the year. Second I might die. Third the horse might die. And fourth…..I might teach the horse to fly!”



Story related in R.G.H. Siu, The Craft of Power, 1979.