The Grand Illusion and Other Short Stories of Pony Wisdom

by Knowledge

Baked Wisdom

Equus November- Earth - Moundoleum

Before the rise of the royal pony sisters but after the unification of the tribes, earth ponies mostly lived in their capital Moundoleum. There lived a famous baker named Flat Bread. Every earth pony in Moundoleum and many ponies from beyond came to his bakery for his delicious bread. There was also a beggar Lint Pockets who would sit outside Flat's bakery just to smell the bread.

Flat Bread did not like Lint Pockets sitting outside his shop, so he took the poor pony to court. Chancellor Puddinghead, famous for her in-the-chimney thinking, presided.

"This mare comes to my bakery everyday and smells my bread, but doesn't buy anything," Flat explained. "I demand she paid me for the smell of my bread."

While everypony agreed that his bread did smell great, the court filled with incredulous laughs at the baker's crazy request.

"Order, order, everypony," Chancellor Puddinghead called while pounding her gavel. "After considering what you have told me Mr. Bread, I must agree with you. Mrs. Pockets must pay you for the scent of your bread."

The crowd gasped at the unexpected ruling.

"But Chancellor, I only have two bits," Lint Pockets cried, showing the presiding judge her money. The whole court could hear them jingle in her hooves.

"Thanks, Mrs. Pockets," the earth pony leader said to the mare and then turned to the stallion. "Are you happy, Mr. Bread? You have been paid."

"No, I haven't," Flat Bread stated in confusion.

"But you have. Isn't the sound of her bits not sufficient payment for the scent of your bread?"

Comments

[QueenChrysalisForever]

Such wisdom! Kind of reminds me of the kind of way King Solomon solved the ridiculous problems some of his subjects brought to him. Excellent addition to this!

[QueenChrysalisForever]

8502795
You're welcome!

[Knowledge]

8508157
Well, it is highly pulling from a similar folk story about King Solomon. There are hundreds of those, including ones about the so-called a man who the famous storyteller Joel ben Izzy called the Japanese King Solomon. I am mostly ponifying old folk tales and adding my own spin on them. Sometimes I change the punchline or add elements to make the story deeper and more engaging.

[QueenChrysalisForever]

8508125
I would totally agree to that! (Sorry if replies are weird on my kindle atm). Exactly though she is happy because she wants to be, not because of some silly lock of hair.

[Knowledge]

8508157
These were all stories I would tell around the campfire when I was a boy scout. I read a lot of folk stories and built up a repertoire. I can recite and alter them on the fly with ease now after having told them to others a few times.

[QueenChrysalisForever]

8508146
Of course ^.^

[QueenChrysalisForever]

8508168
Japanese King Solomon? Oooh don't think I've heard any of those versions! but yeah I know best is of course the one of two women who each think a baby is their own. But yeah I love when people ponify old folk tales and the like, dusts them off so new people can hear them. Even if written in pony instead of original. Doing a great job I would say!

[QueenChrysalisForever]

8508172
Folk tales were always fun. Never told many around a campfire, but when I visited my grandmother on my dad's side, we would stay up late telling them to each other. Not sure if I could still recite any though...