The Price Maker
[Foolishness]
Long, long ago in northern India, there was a king who ruled Benares. He had a minister
called the Royal Price Maker and he was a very honest man. His job was to set a fair price
for anything the king wanted to buy or sell.
But there were occasions in which the king did not like his price-making. These were times
when the king
did not get as large a profit as he would love, had to pay more than he was
willing to, or sold his merchandise for a price that he felt was too low.
He decided to change
the price maker.
One day, he saw a handsome young man and decided that he would make a good price
maker. He dismissed his former honest price maker, and appointed the young man to be
the new one. “I must make the king happy by buying at very low prices and selling at very
high prices,” thought the new price maker. So he charged ridiculous prices, not caring at all
whether they were pegged to their actual worth. Of course, this made the king very happy as
he gained a lot of money. But all the others who dealt with the new price maker, including
the king’s other ministers and ordinary folks, became very unhappy.
One day, a horse merchant arrived at Benares. He had 500 horses to sell. There were
stallions, mares and colts. The king invited the merchant to the palace, and called upon
his Royal Price Maker to set a price for all 500 horses. Thinking only of pleasing the king,
the price maker replied: “The entire herd of horses is worth one cup of rice.” Hearing this,
the king ordered that one cup of rice be paid to the horse dealer, and all the horses were
taken to the royal stables.
The merchant was very upset, but he could do nothing at that moment. Later, he heard
about the former price maker, who had a reputation for being very fair and honest. He
approached him and told him what had happened. He wanted to hear his opinion, in order
to get a proper price from the king. “If you do as I say, the king will be convinced of the
true value of the horses. Go back to the price maker and satisfy him with a valuable gift.
Then ask him to state the value of one cup of rice in the presence of the king. If he agrees,
come and tell me. I will go with you to the king,” advised the former price maker.
Following this advice, the merchant went to the price maker and gave him a valuable gift.
The gift made the price maker very happy. The young man saw that it would benefit him
if he pleased the horse dealer. “I’m very happy with your previous evaluation,” said the
merchant. “Can you please convince the king of the value of one cup of rice?” “Why not? I
will explain the worth of one cup of rice in the presence of the king,” answered the foolish
price maker.
Believing that the horse dealer was satisfied with his cup of rice, the price maker arranged
for another meeting with the king, as the merchant was returning to his own country. The
merchant reported back to the old price maker, and they went together to see the king.
All the king’s ministers and his full court were in the royal meeting hall. “My lord, I
understand that in your country, my herd of 500 horses is worth only one cup of rice. Before
I leave for home, I want to understand the value of one cup of rice in your country,” said
the horse merchant to the king. The king turned to the price maker and asked: “What is
the value of one cup of rice?”
Previously, to please the king, the foolish price maker had priced the herd of horses at one
cup of rice. Now, after receiving a bribe from the horse dealer, and wanting to please him,
he replied to the king in his most dignified manner: “Your Majesty, one cup of rice is worth
the city of Benares, including even your own harem, as well as all the suburbs of the city.
In other words, it is worth the whole kingdom of Benares!”
On hearing this, the royal ministers and wise men in the assembly hall started to roar with
laughter, slapping their sides with their hands. “Earlier, we heard that the kingdom was
priceless. Now we hear that all of Benares, with its palaces and mansions, is worth only a
cup of rice! The decision of the Royal Price Maker is so strange! Where did your Highness
find such a man? He is good only for pleasing a king such as you, and definitely not setting
fair prices for a merchant who sells his horses from country to country,” said the ministers
and wise men when they had calmed down.
Hearing the laughter of his whole court, and the words of his ministers and advisers, the
king was ashamed. He reinstated his former price maker, and agreed to a new fair price for
the herd of horses, as set by the honest price maker. Having learned his lesson, the king
lived justly and his kingdom prospered.
The moral is
✏
a fool in high office can bring shame even to a king.
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