A Wise Judge
Once upon a time, there was a king. In one of his towns, he had posted a judge. People spoke very highly of the judge. "No rogue can ever escape punishment and never an innocent can be victimized in his court," they said. The king decided to see the judge when he was holding court. He set out on horseback in the disguise of a merchant. Upon reaching the town he rested for a while in an inn. When he was about to mount his horse, a tired and haggard-looking man approached him and said, "Sir, I am a weary traveler. My horse died on the way. Will you please allow me to ride with you as far as the market square, where I can buy a horse?" "Why not!" said the disguised king taking pity on the traveler. He made the traveler sit behind him and rode on. When they reached the market square, the merchant brought his horse to a halt and asked the traveler to dismount.
The fellow, who was a rogue, shouted at the top of his voice: "What? Must you try to cheat me? Is this the reward I deserve for helping you reach this place?" The merchant stood stunned. Meanwhile, a crowd had collected. The rogue told the crowd: "This horse is mine. I carried this gentleman from the suburb to the market square. Now, look at his knavery! He refuses to dismount!" The king stood still stupefied over the cunningness of the traveler. Someone in the crowd proposed, "Why not go to our wise judge?" The merchant and the traveler went to court. There were other complainants there and the judge called them one by one. Before he took up the case of the merchant and traveler, he heard a butcher and an oil merchant. The butcher held a bagful of money in his hand, and the oil merchant held the butcher's hand in his grip. "This butcher came to my shop and asked to change a gold coin for him. When I opened my money bag he snatched it and began to run away. But I pursued him and caught him, as you see, my lord and brought him here."
"Don't believe this man, my lord. He is a liar. He came to my shop in order to buy meat and asked me if I could give him change for a gold coin. When I took out my money bag, he seized it and tried to run away. But I was alert. I caught hold of him," said the butcher. "Give that bag of money to me", said the judge. When the bag changed hands, the judge ordered his attendant to bring a bucket, half-filled with water. When the bucket was brought, the judge emptied the money bag into it. Seconds later blobs of oil emerged to the surface of the water. "The one who has collected the coins deals in oil. Hence the bag belongs to the oil merchant. It should go to him. What should go to the butcher? A hundred strokes by an oily cane" said the judge. The oil merchant went away with his money, thanking the judge. The butcher was dragged away to receive his punishment. Then the judge called the disguised king and the rogue. The traveler began first. When he finished, the merchant gave his version of the case. The judge listened to them intently. He then ordered his servant to lead the horse to the stable of a rich landlord.
"Would you be able to recognize your horse when it is amidst other horses?" he asked the merchant. "Certainly," replied the merchant. "And you?" He asked the rogue. "I won't fail to recognize it, my lord, since the horse is mine!" asserted the rogue. The judge then led them to the stable. There were more than twenty-five horses. First, the merchant was asked to point out the horse in question. He instantly did it. The rogue too pointed out the horse without any difficulty. The judge then returned to his court and his judgment ran thus: "Though the merchant and the traveler pointed out the same horse, the horse certainly belongs to the merchant. When he approached the horse, it turned its head and stretched its neck towards him. That is how horses behave with those familiar to them. But when the traveler approached the same horse it turned back its ears and lifted one hoof. That is how they behave with strangers. Hence the merchant will get back his horse and the traveler shall get a sentence of six months in jail." The king was immensely pleased with the wisdom and intelligence of the judge. He revealed his identity to him and made him his minister.
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