Русский / A2
Ларчик
В комнату принесли красивую коробку. Все любовались ею. Пришёл мастер и посмотрел на коробку.
— Здесь нет замка. Значит, у неё есть секрет! Я знаю, как работают сложные вещи. Я открою её!
Он поворачивал коробку и нажимал на разные части. Люди смеялись и говорили, что он делает всё не так. Мастер старался ещё больше, но ничего не получалось. Наконец он устал и перестал искать ответ.
А коробка открывалась просто. Никакого секрета не было.
English summary · includes the ending
A beautifully made box arrives from a craftsman, and everyone admires its careful finish. A man who knows mechanics enters the room. Since the box has no lock, he immediately decides that it must contain a secret opening device. He confidently promises to discover the secret and open it.
He turns the box in different directions and presses its little nails and metal brackets. The people watching shake their heads, whisper and laugh. He hears remarks telling him that he is looking in the wrong place or doing things the wrong way. These comments only make him work harder.
Eventually, he becomes hot and tired. He gives up without discovering how to open the box. The narrator then reveals the joke: it opens in the ordinary way. There was no complicated secret for the expert to solve. His search for a difficult explanation prevented him from seeing the simple answer.
Adapted for Lejrbål from the credited source.
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