(69) The clever boy!

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Once upon a time, the kingdom of Silbaripuram was ruled by King Veerapani. He was a ruler who believed in staying connected with his subjects to improve his administration. As part of this, he made it a habit to visit the local market during his morning walks.

One morning, while the King was at the main market chatting with the traders and locals, a bright-eyed young boy was seen peeking through the crowd to catch a glimpse of him.

Noticing this, the King called him closer. He learned that the boy’s name was Monkuttan. On a whim, the King decided to have a little fun.

The King announced loudly, "In my left hand, I have a silver coin. In my right hand, a gold coin. You may pick whichever one you like—but only one!"

With everyone watching curiously, the boy reached out and picked the silver coin from the left hand! The King and the townspeople were stunned. Soon, the crowd burst into laughter. Some whispered, "What a fool! Who takes silver when they could have gold?"

The King, hearing this, thought to himself—if he repeated the experiment the next day, surely the boy would pick the gold coin and prove his smarts to the people.

The next day, Monkuttan arrived at the market to deliver milk. The King appeared again with the coins. But once more, the boy chose the silver coin. The crowd roared with laughter!

The King muttered, "There must be some misunderstanding. I want to see this boy win in front of everyone."

This scene played out at the market every single day. Several months passed, until one day, the cow at Monkuttan’s house went dry. Since there was no milk to deliver, he didn't show up at the market.

The King and the locals waited as usual, but when Monkuttan didn’t appear, the King said, "Come everyone, today we shall all go to his house."

When they arrived, Monkuttan and his parents rushed out and bowed low before the King.

"My Lord! Our cow has gone dry, so there was no milk to bring to the market. That is why he couldn't come," the parents explained.

The King then turned to the boy and asked, "Why is it that you never once picked the gold coin?"

Without a word, Monkuttan ran inside and brought out a cloth bag. He showed it to the King—it was brimming with silver coins!

"Your Majesty," the boy said, "if I had picked the gold coin on the very first day, you would never have come back with the coins the next day. I would have ended up with only one gold coin. But I knew that ten silver coins equal the value of one gold coin. This bag is now full of silver; its value is worth many, many gold coins!"

This time, neither the King nor the locals laughed. The King embraced the boy and said, "You have outsmarted us all. When you turn eighteen, you must come to the palace and join my circle of scholars!"

The Moral: A sharp and clear intellect is the key to success. With systematic practice and presence of mind, one can elevate their intelligence to great heights.


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