The Royal Spy

Once, the King of Valpore had a bitter quarrel with the King of Talpore. Each ruler, fearing an invasion from the other, fortified his frontiers and readied himself for battle to ward off any sudden attack.

The Spy’s Journey

One day, a spy sent by the King of Valpore went searching for spies from Talpore. As he neared the borders of his land, the strap of his sandal broke. He noticed a cobbler under a tree and approached him for repair. Just then, another man came to the cobbler and engaged him in a strange conversation.

The Cipher Conversation

The mysterious man asked the cobbler about a tearing card, to which the cobbler replied with cryptic messages. The conversation was filled with bizarre phrases about the sun’s heat melting cards, the sea’s young ones, and the earth’s stomach. Overhearing this suspicious conversation, the spy seized the passerby.

A Revelation to the King

Subsequently, the spy presented his captives to the King and informed him that they were spies from Talpore. The King’s Minister, upon hearing the story, decrypted the cryptic conversation for the King. He revealed that the gibberish was a coded discussion detailing the enemy’s plan to poison the wells on the route of their army’s march.

The Execution and Reward

Upon hearing this revelation, the King ordered the execution of the two enemy spies and rewarded his own for the vital information he had brought to light. This event highlighted the intelligence at work in the kingdom and how a wise man can create more opportunities than he finds.