by Antonio Napoli

In the heart of ancient Nubia, among golden sands and dusty roads, stood a prosperous kingdom inhabited by families devoted to trade. At first glance, a stranger might have thought he had arrived in a disorderly city, where hills of sand rose amidst clay huts, as if the wind, rather than human intent, had whimsically shaped the settlement without a clear design.

The ruler of this state paid tribute to the King of Sennar, yet it was whispered that part of the sum never reached its destination. It was suspected that the local administrator—a man of subtle wit—kept a portion for himself, in secret agreement with the King of Sennar and in exchange for unspoken favors. Malicious gossip painted him as cunning as a beast lurking in an oasis and as greedy as a sponge soaked in the Nile. However, there was no concrete proof—only rumors.

Upon returning from a long journey, the administrator brought with him exotic animals never before seen in those lands. Among them was a monkey with an extraordinarily long tail, which soon became his inseparable companion.

As the day of tribute payment approached, the people, forced to pay a larger sum than usual, murmured with growing resentment. It was said that the increase was not due to the King of Sennar’s will, but rather to the administrator’s insatiable greed.
“Someone should cut off those thieving hands,” was the whispered refrain.

Then, one morning, the man appeared in a crowded place and, under the stunned gaze of the onlookers, seized the monkey and, with a cruel gesture, cut off part of its long tail. The sight provoked disgust and pity—but above all, it stirred an indescribable unease.

Time passed, and when the administrator once again walked among the people with his monkey, everyone noticed something extraordinary: the animal’s tail had grown back exactly as it was before.

News of the miracle spread from mouth to mouth, igniting the people’s curiosity. How could this be possible? Even the administrator’s closest friend, intrigued, asked him about the mystery.

The man gave a faint smile and replied:

“If people truly possessed the truth they believe they have, they would already know the answer. From my journey, I did not bring back one, but two monkeys. And in any case, I amputated a piece of the other’s tail to save it from a severe gangrene. There are many truths that, like butterflies, escape the grasping hands of gossip.”