In the court of a wise king, a challenging question hung heavy in the air: "Which is the well from which a man cannot escape once he falls in?" Despite much contemplation, no one could offer a satisfactory answer. With time running out, the royal priest was tasked with finding a solution within seven days, or face dire consequences.
As the deadline loomed closer, the priest found himself consumed by worry. On the seventh day, with desperation gnawing at his heart, he sought solace in the depths of the forest. There, he encountered a humble shepherd, who, recognizing the priest's distress, offered his assistance.
Curious yet skeptical, the priest listened as the shepherd revealed a remarkable gem capable of transforming anything into gold. However, there was a condition: the priest must become the shepherd's disciple. Desperate for a solution, the priest reluctantly agreed.
The shepherd's first task seemed innocuous: to drink sheep's milk. Yet, the priest hesitated, fearing the loss of his intellectual superiority. Pressed by his desperation, he relented, only to balk when confronted with the prospect of drinking milk that had been sipped by the shepherd.
Undeterred, the shepherd presented another challenge: to drink milk from a skull, a vessel tainted with death and decay. Despite his revulsion, the priest, driven by his greed for the promised gem, consented.
With a gentle smile, the shepherd revealed the priest's folly. He had fallen into the well of greed, agreeing to increasingly absurd demands in pursuit of wealth. The shepherd's lesson was clear: the insatiable desire for material gain leads one into a pit from which escape is near impossible.
In his blind pursuit of riches, the priest had forsaken his principles, descending deeper into moral decay. The shepherd's revelation served as a stark reminder of the corrosive nature of greed, a well from which few emerge unscathed.