How to Use the Mouth
Once upon a time, there was a king who had a very faithful minister with three young sons. The minister believed that the eldest son should be the best choice for the position of the new minister. One day, the king said to the minister, “When you retire, my wise minister, I think I should appoint your eldest son as the new minister. Do you approve of my proposal?”
The Minister’s Perspective
“That depends, my lord, on what you expect of your minister,” replied the minister. “If you want a dare-devil for a minister, then the eldest son, no doubt, should be the right person for the post. However, if you seek a man of truth, then you should consider the others.”
The Challenge
“I believe I can prove my point, my lord,” answered the minister. After a brief pause, he continued, “I will give one general instruction to all three boys. Let us see how each one of them takes it.”
While the king watched from hiding on the terrace, the minister called his three sons to his presence. Adopting a grave expression, he told them, “In the middle of the royal garden yonder, there is a very special rose plant. Each of you should pluck a rose and bring it to me. However, I must warn you that it is strictly forbidden to pluck flowers from it. If you are caught, you should be able to escape any punishment since you are endowed with mouths!”
The Reactions
The sons bowed to their father and hurried into the garden. No sooner had they plucked the roses than they were caught by a guard. The eldest son immediately raised a sharp cry, bit the guard’s hand, and managed to escape. The youngest son, on the other hand, threw the rose he had plucked into his mouth and pretended to be innocent. However, the second son remained calm and, appearing before the king, said, “I know, my lord, that it was forbidden to pluck roses from this particular plant. But I had no doubt that when the king learns that it was his wise minister who asked me to pluck the flower, he will understand that there must be a very solid reason for it.”
The Minister’s Test
“See, my lord,” said the minister, “each one of them, when caught, has used his mouth, just as I instructed. Yet, each has done it in his own way, according to his nature.”
The King’s Conclusion
The amazed king smiled and said, “You were very right, my dear minister. Each one of them seems indispensable to me. The eldest can be made an officer in my army, the second should be appointed as my adviser, but it is your youngest son, the clever one, who is fit to be my minister.”
