One day, the city's ruler wanted to test Juha and mock him in front of his court. He summoned him and said, «I have a donkey, and I want you to teach it to read within ten years — or I'll have your head cut off!» Juha smiled with strange calm and said, «Very well, my lord, I shall do it,» leaving everyone puzzled by his odd confidence.

As Juha left the palace, a worried friend caught up with him and asked, «How could you accept such an impossible task? Donkeys never learn to read!» Juha answered calmly, «Don't worry, my friend. I have ten whole years ahead of me, and a great many things can change over that much time.»

His friend pressed further, «And what if nothing changes?» Juha grinned broadly and said, «Within ten years, either the ruler will die, or the donkey will die, or I will die! And then no one will ever ask me about it again.» His friend burst out laughing at the clever wisdom, realizing Juha wasn't deceiving the ruler at all — he was teaching everyone a lesson in facing hard problems with calm and wit instead of fear and surrender.