King Krishnadeva once expressed the opinion that scholars were the cleverest men in his kingdom. Tenali, the Court Jester, immediately told that businessman were cleverer. A few days later Raman called a scholar to the palace. Raman told him that the king wanted his moustache and asked him for his price. The scholar, overjoyed, asked for 20 gold coins and allowed a barber to shave his upper lip clean. Next, a businessman was sent for. He claimed that it was because of his moustache that he commanded respect in society and that if he shaved it off his business would suffer. He asked for 20,000 gold coins for it. Raman gave him the money and sent for the barber. But when the barber approached him, the businessman pushed him away. “The moustache now belongs to the king!” he growled. “I won’t let anyone touch it!” King Krishnadeva who had been listening from behind a screen had to admit that in some matters at least, businessmen were cleverer.
The Price of a Moustache
