The Royal Appraisal Officer
In the Baranasi city, there was an expert royal appraisal officer. He could accurately evaluate things for many years. However, the king was very stingy. He thought that the officers buy royal property with too high price.
One day, the king saw a countryman walked passed the palace. The king thought “This man looks so smart. He may smartly buy things with low price.”
Therefore, the king called the countryman and told his intention. The king fired the old officer and appointed the countryman as an appraisal officer instead.
One day, there was a group of merchants bringing 500 horses to the city. The king told the new officer to contact with them. The new officer brought the merchants into the palace, valued all horses at one cup of rice, and brought all horses into the royal stable.
The merchants didn’t know what they should do; so they went to see the old officer and told all the story. The old officer told the merchants to bribe the new officer to assess the value of Baranasi city at a cup of rice.
The merchants, with the old officer, went to see the king and the new officer. One merchant ask the new officer “Dear officer, how much 500 horses are valued ?”
The new officer said “They worth a cup of rice.”
The merchant ask “So, how much a cup of rice worth, sir ?”
The new officer said “It worths a Baranasi.”
The king heard that and got annoyed. The old officer and the king’s followers started giggling. With shame, the king fired the new officer and appointed the old officer as the royal appraisal officer again.
The new officer finally reincarnated as a witless king. The old officer finally reincarnated as the Buddha.
Moral: Put the right man on the right job.