Just hours after his family relocated to Ahtopol so his father could open a rodent butchery and deli, the Great Ptophet Subezh met his faithful right hand man, Yabul (then a boy of 13). And it came to pass that the two boys found themselves on the shores of the Black Sea drinking mare”s milk from an Ottoman army canteen. A harlot, who knew him not as he had only just arrived, approached.
“Boy,” spake the harlot, “what are you drinking?”
“Water,” Subezh replied.
“May I have a sip?” the harlot asked.
“Why sip from my canteen when there is a fountain just behind you?” the Great Prophet said.
The harlot looked over her shoulder and then turned to face Subezh again.
“I see no fountain,” she said.
“That which you cannot see is often just out of view,” the Prophet replied.
“I think you speak not of water,” the harlot said. “You have spoken a great spiritual truth, young one.”
“Sure,” Subezh said, “but there really is a fountain over there. Around the corner; just past the cobbler’s shop.”
“Thank you, wise young man,” the harlot said before walking away slowly as if in deep contemplation.
“Subezh,” Yabul said, “there is no fountain just past the cobbler’s shop and you are drinking mare’s milk, not water.”
“What you have spoken is true,” Subezh replied, “but we will be gone before she finds that out.”
Lo and the two boys ran from the place where Subezh had spoken his first lesson. Yabul thinks he saw a sore on the harlot’s mouth which explains why the Great Prophet did not want her drinking from his canteen.
Remembered “pretty much word for word” by Yabul Vonke.
