Topping the List

Once, a trader from a foreign land approached the king of Koshala and offered to sell him an exceptional horse. The king was delighted with the horse’s quality and decided to purchase it for a thousand gold coins.

“My lord, we should place an order with this trader for more horses of this type,” proposed the minister. The king agreed, saying, “Do so if that is wise.” Following the king’s command, the minister placed an order for a hundred horses and provided the trader with one lakh gold coins as an advance. The trader promised to return in a year.

A few days later, the king asked his court jester to compile a list of the greatest fools in his kingdom. The jester submitted the list the next day, and at the top was the minister’s name, marked with the note: “To be confirmed in a year.”

“What do you mean?” asked the king, confused. “My lord, the trader will never return. The minister who gave him a lakh of gold coins will be proven a fool,” replied the jester.

“And if the trader returns?” demanded the king, still seeking clarity. “In that case, the trader’s name will replace the minister’s name,” the jester explained, leaving the king to ponder the fate of his ill-conceived order.