There once lived an emperor whose name was Trojan. This emperor had
goat’s ears, and he used to call in barber after barber to shave him.
But whoever went in never came out again; for while the barber was
shaving him, the emperor would ask what he observed uncommon in him,
and when the barber would answer that he observed his goat’s ears, the
Emperor would immediately cut him into pieces.
At last it came to the turn of a certain barber to go who feigned
illness, and sent his apprentice instead. When the apprentice appeared
before the emperor he was asked why his master did not come, and he
answered, “Because he is ill.” Then the emperor sat down, and allowed
the youth to shave him.
As he shaved him the apprentice noticed the emperor’s goat’s ears, but
when Trojan asked him what he had observed, he answered, “I have
observed nothing.”