The old man continued, “Sir, my sons are blind but they are gifted. They will serve you well.” The King was surprised. He asked, “How can these blind sons of yours be of any service to me?” The old man replied, “Well, my elder son is an expert judge of horses. And my younger son can test any kind of jewel.” The amazed King said, “But they are blind! How do they perform their tasks?” The old man replied, “They rely on their senses of smell and touch respectively to do their jobs. If you ever find any of them giving a wrong judgement, you may have them beheaded. You may also punish me after I have returned.” The impressed King took the old man’s word. He gave him the one thousand gold coins he had asked for. He took the two blind sons into his service.
The Old Man
