The Measure of Rice

An Indian Folktale, Retold by The Legendary Connection

Tales of Honesty & Integrity

You’ll find the full text of this classic story below… free to enjoy anytime.

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Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a king who wasn’t known for being fair. He cared more about filling his treasure rooms than doing what was right.

In his court worked a man called the Chief Appraiser. His job was to decide what things were worth; fine horses, strong elephants, sparkling jewels, and piles of gold. Whatever someone brought to the palace to sell, the Chief Appraiser would set a fair price.

He was wise and honest, and everyone trusted his word. If a thing was valuable, he said so. If it wasn’t, he said that too. He always made sure people got what they deserved.

But the greedy king wasn’t happy. “If I had someone easier to control, someone who’d help me pay less, I could get rich much faster,” he thought.

One day, while watching from his window, the king spotted a scruffy old man in the courtyard. He had with greedy eyes and not much sense. The king sent for the man.

“Would you like to be the new Chief Appraiser?” asked the king.

The man’s eyes lit up. “Yes, Your Majesty!” So the honest appraiser was sent away, and the foolish man took his place.

But there was a big problem: the new Chief Appraiser didn’t know anything about prices. He didn’t understand horses, gold, or gems. He just made things up, usually saying everything was worth far less than it actually was.

The people had no choice but to sell their goods at the unfair prices. They were upset, but the king wouldn’t listen.

Then, one day, a horse dealer arrived with five hundred strong and magnificent horses. He had cared for them well and expected a fair deal. The foolish appraiser looked them over and said, “They’re worth... one bag of rice.”

“One bag?” gasped the dealer.

But the king didn’t question it. “Give the man a bag of rice, and take the horses to the royal stables.”

The dealer was shocked and heartbroken. He went to find the former Chief Appraiser, the honest one. “They took all my horses for a single bag of rice,” he said. “What can I do?”

The wise man thought for a moment. “Take a nice gift to the new appraiser,” he said. “Tell him you agree, your horses are worth one bag of rice. But then ask: how much is that bag of rice worth? Can he say that in front of the king? If he agrees, take him to the palace. I’ll be there, too.”

The horse-dealer liked the idea. He gave the appraiser a fine present and said, “You’re right, my horses are worth one bag of rice. But will you come to the king and tell him how much the rice is worth?”

The greedy man grinned. “Of course! I can price rice as well as I price horses.”

So they returned to the palace, where the king and his advisors sat in their grand hall.

The horse-dealer bowed and said, “Your Majesty, you agreed that my five hundred horses are worth one bag of rice. But will you ask the Chief Appraiser what that bag of rice is worth?”

The king turned to the appraiser. “Well? What’s the price of one bag of rice?” The man stood proudly and said, “It’s worth... the whole city, O King!”

A hush fell over the hall, then loud laughter rang out. The ministers clapped their hands in disbelief. “This man is a fool!” they cried. “He says five hundred horses are worth one bag of rice, and now the whole city is worth the same! How can we trust his judgment?”

The king's face turned red. He had hoped to get richer, but now he saw the joke was on him. Ashamed, he dismissed the foolish appraiser right then and there.

“I only tried to please the king,” the appraiser muttered as he ran out, “and now look what’s happened!”

And so, the wise and honest appraiser was proven right, and the kingdom learned a simple truth: honesty and fairness should never be traded for greed.

Story adapted from: Babbit, Ellen C. Jataka Tales. New York, The Century Co., Sept. 1912.