Do It Again

A villager had just arrived in town one evening. He sat down on the veranda of a temple and, without a second thought, belched rather loudly, as was his habit. This unexpected outburst did not sit well with the temple priest, who grew irked by the interruption.

“You have offended the deity. You ought to be punished,” the priest said angrily. Typically, anyone else might have silenced the priest with a few soothing words or by offering him a coin as a mark of respect. However, the villager took the priest’s words very seriously, contemplating the gravity of his sin. After a moment of consideration, he stood up and said, “Holy man, come on, let’s go to the judge; I am ready to stand trial.”

Upon reaching the judge’s chamber, the villager was apprehensive. The judge, recognizing the gravity of the situation, simply stated, “You can go to the temple again tomorrow and belch in the full hearing of the priest once more. That will solve the problem.” He pocketed a coin as he finished speaking, giving the villager a plan to rid himself of his predicament.

The next day, the innocent villager returned to the priest and did exactly as the judge instructed, causing great chagrin for the temple priest. “Accept the punishment he awards me,” he said confidently. The priest, more concerned about his reputation than anything else, took the villager back to the judge, shouting, “Belching in this particular temple, eh? What audacity! You must pay a fine! Come out with a copper coin!”

However, the villager produced a silver coin, which was equal to two copper coins. “I have no change,” he said, handing it over to the judge. To his delight, the judge’s face brightened at the sight of the silver coin.