THE LIAR

Once upon a time there was a king of Armenia ,who being of curious turn of mind and in need of some new diversion ,sent his heralds throughout the land to make the following proclamation: ''Hear this! Whatever man among you can prove himself the most outrageous liar in Armenia shall receive an apple made of pure gold from the hands of His Majesty the King!" People began to swarm to the palace from every town and hamlet in the country, people of all ranks and conditions, princes, merchants, farmers, priests, rich and poor, tall and short, fat and thin. There was no lack of liars in the land, and each one told his tale to the king. A ruler, however, has hear practically every sort of lie, and none of those now told him convinced the king the he had listened to the best of them.
The king was beginning to grow tired of his new sport and was thinking of calling the whole contest off without declaring a winner, when there appeared before him a poor, ragged man, carrying a large earth-ware pitcher under his arm.
" What can I do for you?" asked His Majesty. " Sire!" said the poor man, slightly bewildered. " Surely you remember? You owe me a pot of gold, and I have come to collect it."
"You are a perfect liar, sir!" exclaimed the king. " I owe you no money!"
"A perfect liar, am I?" said the poor man. " Then give me the golden apple!"
The king, realizing the man was trying to trick him, started to hedge.
" No, no! You are not a liar!"
"Then give me the pot of gold you owe me, sire," said the man. the king saw the dilemma. He handed over the golden apple.

ARMENIAN FOLK-TALES AND FABLES,
RETOLD BY CHARLES DOWNING,
1993