Tea-leaves

Many years ago tea was unknown in European countries. Many people didn’t even know the word “tea”, though drinking tea was very popular in the East.

Once a young sailor came back from India. He was the only son of an old woman and every time he returned to Great Britain from a far-away country he brought his mother a gift. Of course, he tried to bring her something unusual, that she could show to her friends.

This time he brought her a box of tea. The old woman didn’t know anything about tea, but she liked the smell, and invited all her friends to come and try it.

When her guests arrived, she invited them to the dining table. The old woman treated them to cakes, fruit and tea-leaves.

When the sailor entered the room and saw a big plate filled with the tea-leaves, he understood everything. He smiled when he saw his mother’s friends eating tea-leaves with butter and salt. They pretended they liked it, but it was clear they didn’t enjoy eating the leaves.

“Where is the tea, Mother?” the sailor asked. His mother pointed to the plate in the middle of the table. “No, this is only the leaves of the tea”, the sailor said. “Where is the water?”

“The water!?” his mother said. “I threw the water away, of course”.