King Mieszko decreed that Stanislaw would be hanged in the morning just before the sun was to rise.
Stanislaw, having nothing to lose, said "Your majesty, I was caught poaching on your land, and perhaps I should be hung for that. But I need to tell you that I am the last man on earth who can teach a horse to sing."
King Mieszko shouted "NO ONE CAN TEACH A HORSE TO SING!"
To which Stanislaw replied "My father and I were the only ones left of our family who could. And he has recently died of old age teaching the Chinese emperors horses to sing. Now there is no one left but me."
"And how long does it take to teach a horse to sing," demanded the King.
"It takes a year, Your Highness," he replied.
After much thought about having the only singing horse in Poland, in all of Europe, the King said "I'll give you ONE YEAR, and no more. But each night you'll return to the dungeon until the horse can sing!"
The young poacher simply said :Thank you Your Majesty" before being led back to the dungeon.
Another prisoner asked the poacher how he was to die. But when the young poacher told him the story, the other prisoner laughed at him and said "You fool. You're going to die. No one can teach a horse to sing!"
But Stanislaw said "Who knows. In a years time the king may forget about me."
"He may even die in his sleep, and the new king may pardon us all."
"Or his son may get married, and all the prisoners may be let free to celebrate."
"And who knows, in a years time, the horse may sing."
Many times I've been in a hopeless situation, and that thought has kept me going. "Who know, the horse may sing"
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