The Clever and the Simple - the tale of Rabbi Nachman 

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Once there were two people in one city, who were very rich and each one of them had a son. The boys studied in the same classroom. One of the boys was bright,and the other was simple-minded. In spite of their great difference in personality, even so, they loved each other very much. As time passed, their fathers lost their wealth. They sank further and further, until they were left with nothing except their houses.

Fortunately, the sons grew up. So the fathers said to them, "We do not have the ability to support you. You will have to rely on yourselves." The Simple one went and learned shoemaking. 

And the Clever one, who had a sharp mind decided to go out into the world and look for something to do. He went and wandered through the market. There he saw a large carriage with four horses that was travelling along. He spoke up and asked to the tradesmen if he could be a helper and when they saw that he was intelligent and energetic, they agreed. So he travelled with them serving them very well along the way. 

When they came to Warsaw, since he was intelligent, he considered to himself that maybe there was something better for him. So he went to the market, and he began to investigate if there are people better to work under. 

He saw men from the clothing business, that were passing through the market in their fashionable style. He liked the way they walked and dressed. He had a sharp intellect, and this work appealed to him because it had grace. He returned to the people he had come with, gave them his respects, and told them about his plan to start something new. 

Next day he started to work under one businessman. His employer gave him hard work, and he would send him to customers. This work was very difficult and hard for him to bear. 

So he considered to himself - for he was a highly intelligent philosopher: "Why should I do work like this? For truly, the main point of working is to achieve the goal of getting married and supporting oneself. And I do not need to be concerned about this yet. I will have time to deal with it in the future, in the years to come. In the meantime, I am happy to wander the land, in different countries, and to have my fill of the world." 

He went through the market, and saw a large trading carriage passing by. They were going to Lagorna and agreed to take him there. And that's how he sailed to Italy, and from there to Spain. In the course of this, several years passed, and thus he became even wiser as he had been in many countries.

Then he thought to himself, "Now it would be good to think about the goal." He started to consider, with his philosophical analysis, what he should do. He decided to learn to be a goldsmith. It is a major business, and attractive, it demands wisdom, and it is also very profitable. Because of his high intelligence and philosophical ability, he did not need to learn several years. In only a quarter of a year he completed his study and became a very major artisan. He was more expert in the work than the one who had taught him. 

But that wasn't enough for him. He thought that even if today this work is in demand, perhaps in the future something else will take its place. So he went and found work with a gem cutter, and because of his quick mind, he learned this also in a short time, a quarter of a year. Afterwards, he speculated philosophically, "Even though I have two trades, who knows if both of them might fall out of demand. Better that I learn a trade that will always be important."

He concluded, with his understanding and philosophy, that he should learn to be a doctor, which is always needed and important. And it is customary that before learning medicine, one must learn Latin. And because of his understanding, he also learned this in a short time - a quarter year. 

He became a great doctor and a philosopher as he learned all the Latin wisdoms. 

And guess what! Afterwards, the world began to seem insignificant in his eyes. For because of his wisdom, being so skilled and professional, a wise man and a doctor, all the people in the world seemed insignificant. 

He began to think about fulfilling his goal and getting married. He thought to himself, "If I marry here, who will know what became of me? I will go back to my family, that they will see what I have become - from a young man to such greatness!" 

So he went and travelled to his family's house, and suffered intensely along the way. For because of his wisdom, he had no one with whom to talk, and he could not find a place according to his sophistcated taste. 

Now, let us leave the story of the clever one for the time being, and we will start to tell the story of the simple one. 

The simple one learned the trade of shoemaking. Because he was simple, he learned a long time until he was able to accept work, and he was not fully expert even so. He married a woman, and he lived off of his work. But because he was simple, he was not so talented in the work, and so he didn't earn much. He did not even have time to eat, because he had to work constantly, since he could not do the work skilfully. So while he worked, while he hit with his hammer and drew out the thick thread in the way of shoemakers, he would snatch a bite of bread to eat. 

But he had the habit of being very happy all the time - he was filled with happiness always. He had all the kinds of food, all the drinks and all the clothing he wanted. He used to praise each thing saying how good it was. 

In truth, he really tasted in the bread the taste of each food he wanted, because of his simplicity and great happiness. The same was with water. Every time his wife gave him water he used to enjoy it as he was really drinking beer or the best wine. And so with clothing: He and his wife together shared one fur coat. He always felt delighted in it as well: "How fine and beautiful is this overcoat!"

And he was always filled only with joy and satisfaction. When he would finish a shoe (and it can be assumed it had three ends, for he had not mastered the craft), he took the shoe in his hand and praise it highly, and would take great delight in it. He would say, "My wife, how beautiful and wonderful is this shoe! It's as sweet as honey and sugar!" Then his wife asked him if so why he charged only one gold piece for a pair of shoes while the others take three. He always answered that it  didn't matter and further added: "Why must we talk about others?" 

And he was only joyful and satisfied all the time. For the rest of the world, however he was an object of fun and he appeared a madman in their eyes. People would come to him, and they would engage him in conversation with the intent of mocking him. Before speaking with them, he always asked: "Just without mockery, I'm a simple man!" Immediately when they responded to him without mocking, he talked with them. But when he saw that their intent was to mock, he would say, "If you were wiser than me, what would that make you? So if you were wiser than me, on the contrary, why you behave as a fool!" 

All this was a description of the simple one. Now let us return to our first subject.

One day a great news arose, that the clever one was on his way to visit here, with great honor and wisdom. The simple one ran like the others to greet him, with great joy. Now the clever one was travelling in a royal carriage in a high style. The simple one reached him and lovingly, joyously asked after his welfare. "Brother, my dear friend! What are you doing here? Blessed is the One who brought you, and granted me to see you!" 

Now for the wise one, to whom the whole world was insignificant, it was all the more so with a man like this, who seemed like a lunatic. Yet in spite of this, because of the great love of their earlier years, he drew him close, and they travelled together through the city. 

The two fathers mentioned at the beginning - the fathers of these two sons - died while the clever one was wandering through the world, and their houses remained. The simple one, who had remained in his hometown, had moved into his father's house and inherited it. But the clever one, who had been abroad, had no one to claim it on his behalf, and it became abandoned, and nothing was left of it at all. So the clever one did not have a place to stay upon coming to the town. He lodged in one inn, and suffered much there, because the inn was not according to his desire. 

And the simple one had found himself a new pastime - he would run back and forth from his house to the wise one, in love and joy. He saw the suffering of the clever friend and invitet him stay in his house. This pleased the clever one, but when the lived together the clever one was constantly filled with agony. For it became known that he was a magnificently intelligent man, a craftsman and a very great doctor. One nobleman came to him and asked him to make him a gold ring. He made the man a very ring, and engraved on it illlustrations with incredible workmanship, and he engraved an image of a tree that was very impressive. The nobleman came, and was not at all pleased with the ring. He had much suffering from this, for he himself knew, that if this ring with the tree would be seen in Spain, it would be very honored and important. 

And so, another time, a highstanding noble came to him with an expensive precious stone, that came from far away, and he brought him another stone with an engraving. He asked the clever one to copy the image from the illlustrated stone onto the other one. And he copied it exactly, barring one mistake that no one else would be able to discern aside from himself. The noble came to take the stone, and was very pleased with it. But the clever man suffered intensely from the mistake. 

Also from his work as a doctor he suffered. When he came to a sick person, and gave him a treatment, and he knew with certainty that if the man would only survive, he would be healed entirely, because the treatment was an amazing one. Then afterwards, if the man died, everyone would say he was at fault, and he suffered intensely from this. And thus, there were times when he treated a man and cured him, and everyone said, "It is just by chance." And he was constantly filled with suffering.

One time he needed a garment, so he called upon a tailor and taught him to make the garment according to his desire,  but still it turned out not to be attractive enough the Clever.

And so he was constantly filled with agony. And the simple one would run and come to him joyfully, all the time. He always found him pained and full of suffering. He asked him, "Someone so wise and wealthy as you, why are you suffering all the time? You see, I am filled with joy all the time." However, he appeared in the eyes of the clever man as a joke, and as a lunatic. And the simple one said to him, "You see, the average man who mocks me is a fool. For if he is wiser than me, then to the contrary, he is a fool. So all the more so a clever man like you. What would you be if you were wiser than me?" 

Then the simple one said, "What would I not give for you to come to my level?" The clever one answered him, "That is possible, that I will come to your level, if I were to lose my intelligence, G-d forbid, or if I became sick, G-d forbid, and became insane. For what are you? A crazy man! But for you to come to my level, that is totally impossible - that you would become wise like me." 

The simple one answered him, "With the Holy One, Blessed be He, anything is possible. It could happen that within the wink of an eye I would come to your level." 

The clever one laughed at this a great deal. 

It happened that one time the King found out about the two sons, one with the name "Clever One" and the other, "Simple One". And it was a wonder in his eyes, that these two were identified by these names, and he wanted to meet them. He thought that if he he send for them suddenly, they will be very frightened. The clever one will lose his clarity completely, and the simple one might possibly go crazy from fear. So he decided to send a clever messenger to the clever one, and a simple messenger to the simple one. 

The only problem was how to find a simpleton in the capital city. For most of the people in the capital are sophisticated. Excepting the Treasurer, who is by intention a simpleton as not  to waste away the treasury. So the King sent the Treasurer and a clever messanger to the two sons and he gave to each messenger a letter. Also, he gave them letters addressed to the local governor of the province of the sons. He explained that the matter is not urgent, and that the King is not commanding them to come, rather it is dependent on their own choice. These two messengers set out and travelled to the governor.  

When they arrived, the governor judged that it would not be fitting for the Simple one to appear before the King in his old coat. So he provided him with appropriate clothes, and placed them inside the royal carriage of the simple messenger. And he gave the messengers letters, and they set off for the town of the two sons.  As soon as the Simple one received his letter with the King's invitations, he thought that it must be a joke. But when he was assured that it's not, he immediately hurried joyfully and travelled with the messenger. He entered and sat inside the carriage and found the new clothes, and became more and more joyous. 

Meanwhile, news was passed on about the governor, that he had behaved corruptly. So the King removed him from office. The King considered and decided that the governor ought to be a simple man, who would govern the state with truth, not knowing wisdoms and innovations. The King came to choose the simple son, and he sent a letter to the simple messenger, that the simple son was to become governor. His route of travel passed through the governor's city, so the King posted men at the gates of the city. As soon as he arrived, they crowned him with the title of governor. So they did. And the Simple immediately became governor, with authority and might. Now that his fortune had turned, and a change of fortune brings wisdom, so he gained more understanding. Even so, he did not use his wisdom at all, but rather ruled with simplicity as at first, and led the country simply and had not a trace of corruption. And he had advisors who were true friends. They said to him to learn wisdoms and languages but he immediately thought of the words of his friend the Clever one, that it would be impossible for him to come to the clever one's level. And now he had already reached the other's wisdom. 

After this, the King sent for the Simple one (who was now governor), that he should come before him. So he travelled there. The King started off talking with him about the governing of the country, and the King was very pleased seeing that he was ruling with uprightness and great truth, without any corruption. After this, the King began to speak about various disciplines of knowledge and languages, and the Simple one answered him appropriately, and found more and more favor in the King's eyes. The King said that he was such a brilliant man and appointed him to be a minister over all the ministers. 

Now the Clever one, when he received the letter from the King, answered to the messenger who brought it, "Wait and stay here the night, and we will talk and consider together." In the evening, he made him a festive meal. During the meal, he drew on his wisdom and philosophy, and said, "What is this, that a king such as this would send after me? After a lowly person such as I, and who am I, that the King would send for me?! How could it be explained? If it is because of my wisdom, what am I compared to the King? "

And he was very bewildered by this. Then he spoke up and said to the clever messenger, "Listen to what I say. In my opinion, the King does not exist at all. The whole world is mistaken in this nonsense, believing that there is a king. Consider it, how could it be possible that all the people of the world would allow themselves to depend on one man, who is the king? Certainly there is no king at all." 

The clever messenger responded,  "If this is true, then who runs the country?" The Clever one answered him, "I'll give you the explanation. You asked the right person, for I am an expert in this, because I wandered through various countries, and I was in Italy. The custom is that there are seventy advisory positions. All the citizens of the country have a turn as an advisor, one after the other." His words began to make an impression upon the messenger, until he agreed, and they decreed that there is no king in the world at all because nobody had seen him. 

They decided to travel  and show the whole world how seriously misled it was. 

So they went and travelled through the world, and every place they went, they found that the people were mistaken. The matter of the King became for them like a fairytale. 

So they went and travelled until their money ran out, and they first sold one of their horses, and then the second, until they sold all of them. And they were constantly investigating people, and found that all of them were in error. They turned into beggers, wandering on foot, and their prestige faded, and they were not respected at all.  

It came to happen, in their wanderings, that they came to the town where the minister lived (that is, the Simple one who had become a minister). And there, in that town, there was a true miracle worker. He was highly regarded and famed for he achieved amazing things. Now these two clever ones came to the city, and wandered through it until they came to the house of the miracle worker. They saw a lot of carriages lined up there, bearing sick people. The Clever one assumed that a doctor must live there, and he wanted to go inside, for he was also a great doctor. So he wanted to go in and prove that the miracle is just the wildest falsehood.  He kept laughing at this nonsense which he consider even greater than the fallacy of the King."

Presently, the Clever and his friend became hungry, and found that they still had a few coins left. So they went to a soup kitchen. As they were eating, they joked about the falsehood and error of the miracle worker. The manager of the kitchen overheard their words, and was very angry, for the miracle worker was very esteemed there. He said to them, "Finish what's on your plates and get out of here!" They were very offended by this, and they wanted to bring a lawsuit against the manager. 

But everywhere where they were told the same words: "Get out of here!"

But they kept going from one bureaucrat to another, each one higher ranking than the last, until they came to the minister - the Simple one. And the Clever one came before the minister, and as soon as the minister saw him, he recognized his friend. 

Immediately the minister began speaking to him: "You see what my simplicity has brought me to, and what your cleverness has done?" But the Clever one wanted only the justice and apology for being offended when he spoke against the Miracle Worker and his deception. The Simple minister responded with a smile, "You are still holding onto your clever ideas?" 

Then the Simple one commanded that the Clever be given fine clothes, and asked him to dine with him. During the meal, they began to discuss together. The Clever one began to prove his thesis that there is no king at all. The Simple minister snapped at him, "What?! I myself have seen the King!" The Simple couldn't stand the stubborness of his old friend and shouted at him. 

"You're still clinging to your cleverness, and don't believe in anything? This way you can't appreciate life.  You see, you said that you could easily come to my level, but that I could not come to yours. See now, I have already reached your level, and you still haven't come to mine." 

P.S. That's my shortened version of the story I found in the digitalised book available here:

http://www.bahaistudies.net/asma/the_tales_of_rabbi_nachman.pdf