A kingdom was ruled by a very just and kind king. One day, the king went around his kingdom in disguise to see how the people were faring under his rule. While moving around, he came to a hermitage. An ascetic saw him and offered him some figs. The king found the figs very sweet in taste. The ascetic replied, “The fruits are sweet because the king is a wise ruler.” The king was surprised by this answer, so he asked the ascetic, “What if the king was unjust? Would the figs lose their sweetness?” The ascetic replied, “Yes, if the king is unjust not only the figs but also the whole atmosphere loses its sweetness.” The king returned to his palace. To test the ascetic’s words, he started ruling his kingdom unjustly. After some days, he again went to the ascetic and tasted the figs. This time the figs were bitter. The king decided to rule justly and make the figs sweet again.
The Sweet Figs
