A very long time ago, there was a mean and corrupt mayor. But his secretary was a kind man who hated injustice. The mayor always felt nervous when his secretary was around.
His secretary was so kind and fair that the mayor could not do what he planned. The mayor liked to be mean, but the secretary always asked him to change his decisions.
The mayor decided to find some fault with his secretary. One day, during a terrible snowstorm, the mayor called his secretary into his office.
The mayor said with a cruel smile, "My good fellow, I have a desire for fresh peaches and strawberries. I want you to go out and get these for me. I know it is a difficult task, so I will give you one month to complete it." Then he continued, "When you complete this task, I will reward you generously. But if you should fail, I will ask you to resign."
The secretary didn't know how to refuse. He thought to himself, "Where can I find peaches and strawberries at this time of year? Nowhere! I couldn't even buy them with all the money in the world."
The mayor's demand was completely unreasonable. But the secretary knew that the mayor was testing his loyalty. "This is hopeless, totally hopeless," he moaned.
The secretary gathered his strength and decided to give the task his best try. He told his family that he had to go away on important business. He packed a small bag and set off in the snow to look for fresh peaches and strawberries.
He went from city to city but could not find the fruit anywhere.
After several weeks of searching, he became very sick and returned home. The secretary's young son looked at him and asked, "Father, why did you go away?"
The sick father, fearing that he might die, told his son the truth.
The little boy listened quietly until his father finished. Then he spoke: "Father, I want you to rest and recover from your illness. Please do not think about this task anymore. I have an idea. I think I can persuade the mayor to withdraw his demand."
The boy went to the mayor's house. When the boy saw the mayor, he greeted him with a big bow and said, "Your Honor, my father is seriously ill. While he was out searching in the snow for fresh peaches and strawberries, he was bitten by a snake."
The mayor shook with anger. "You disgusting liar!" he screamed. "You stupid child! How could anyone be bitten by a snake in this cold weather?" And he slammed his fist on the table.
The boy had expected this response.
He bowed and asked politely, "But Your Honor, if one cannot find a snake in this cold snow, how can one find fresh peaches and strawberries?"
The mayor was speechless. The boy had tricked him. He knew he had to withdraw his request. When the town heard about what the mayor had done, they asked their king for a new mayor.
The king replaced the mean and corrupt mayor with the kind and fair secretary. The new mayor ruled wisely, and his son received a great gift from the king.