Сѓ�ђрї�ѓрєрё — White Elephant С‚рё�‚р»рѕрірё

During a particularly brutal blizzard, Jovan sat in his freezing home. Through the window, he watched the horse standing in its heated stable. He realized that the Voivode hadn't given him a gift; he had given him a . The "White Elephant" was a mirror—it showed Jovan that his vanity was the very thing that had ruined him.

Years passed. Jovan’s once-thriving warehouse grew empty. His gold went into the horse’s stomach; his time was spent protecting a beast that gave him nothing but the appearance of status. The villagers watched as Jovan’s clothes grew tattered while the horse remained pristine. During a particularly brutal blizzard, Jovan sat in

The horse required the finest oats imported from the coast and a stable lined with silk. Jovan had to hire three grooms just to keep its coat from staining in the mountain mud. The "White Elephant" was a mirror—it showed Jovan

In the gray heart of the mountains, there lived a merchant named Jovan. Jovan was a man of high ambition but a shallow heart. He spent his life courting the favor of the Great Voivode (the local ruler), believing that to be near power was to be powerful himself. His gold went into the horse’s stomach; his

One winter, to "honor" Jovan’s loyalty, the Voivode gifted him a magnificent white horse—so pure it was called the . It was a creature of mythic beauty, with a coat like polished marble and eyes that seemed to hold the cold wisdom of the peaks.