How Tyranny Begins

A great Sultan once ventured into a forest for a hunting expedition. At noon, he had his attendants raise tents in a small clearing and prepared for a meal.

It was then discovered that they had forgotten to bring salt. “That is no problem. We can get as much salt as necessary from the nearby village,” said the Vizier, instructing two servants to hurry and fetch it.

“Wait,” said the Sultan. He inquired about the amount of salt needed and what the cost would be. He then instructed the attendants to pay double the price to the villagers.

“My lord, must we pay even for such a small thing as salt?” asked the Vizier. “We must. If we don’t, tomorrow my son would take away something more valuable from the villagers and won’t care to pay for that. That is how tyranny begins,” explained the Sultan.