ONCE upon a time there was a little shepherd boy who was famed far and wide for the wise  answers which he gave to all questions. Now the King of the country heard of this boy, but he  would not believe what was said about him, so the boy was ordered to come to court. When he  arrived, the King said to him: “If you can give me answers to each of the three questions which I  will now put to you, I will bring you up as my own child, and you shall live here with me in my  palace.”  

“What are these three questions?” asked the boy.  

“The first is: How many drops of water are there in the sea?”  

“My lord King,” replied the shepherd boy, “let all the waters be stopped up on the earth, so that  not one drop shall run into the sea before I count it, and then I will tell you how many drops  there are in the sea!”  

“The second question,” said the King, “is: How many stars are there in the sky?”  

“Give me a large sheet of paper,” said the boy; and then he made in it with a pin so many minute  holes that they were far too numerous to see or to count and dazzled the eyes of whomsoever  looked at them. This done, he said: “So many stars are there in the sky as there are holes in this  paper; now count them.” But nobody was able. Thereupon the King said: “The third question is:  How many seconds are there in eternity?”