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.
"A gift for the most faithful," the Voivode declared. But as the gates of the palace closed, Jovan saw the faint, cruel smile on the ruler's face. In the gray heart of the mountains, there
He became a prisoner of his own prestige. He was "The Lord of the White Elephant," but he was starving. "A gift for the most faithful," the Voivode declared
He could not sell it, for to sell a gift from the Voivode was treason. He could not give it away, for who would take a burden that would bankrupt them?. The Empty Treasury He was "The Lord of the White Elephant," but he was starving
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.