The Wise choice!
Once upon a time, the kingdom of Silbaripuram was ruled by King Vikraman. Due to his extravagant spending and financial mismanagement, the King dismissed the minister who was in charge of the treasury.
To find a replacement, a written exam was conducted, and the top five candidates were shortlisted. However, the King found it a great challenge to pick the smartest one among them. Since they all seemed equally knowledgeable, the King knew he had to use some sort of trick to differentiate them.
He came up with a plan. He invited the five candidates to stay in five separate rooms in the palace for a day.
The King then announced: "The room you are staying in now will become your official office if you are appointed as the minister. Therefore, you may spend the next few hours setting up these rooms in a manner befitting the grandeur of the post. You are free to take whatever you like from the palace storehouse."
The candidates began to murmur excitedly:
"I must prove my artistic talent!"
"I will make this room musical."
"The King should be shocked by my creativity!"
"I shall fill this place with beautiful paintings."
Lost in such thoughts, they all got busy arranging items in their respective rooms.
Later, the King visited each room. Finally, when he entered the fifth candidate's room, he saw nothing new at all!
The King lost his temper: "Even after I gave you the opportunity, why haven't you taken anything from the palace storehouse?"
The man replied humbly: "Your Majesty, my style involves very low expenditure. There is no room for extravagance here. This room already contains everything a minister truly needs."
The King immediately decreed: "Only if the treasury is entrusted to someone who avoids wastefulness will the country prosper. You shall take the oath of office as the Finance Minister tomorrow!"
> Moral: Living within one's means with just the necessary comforts is an art of life. Those who do not understand this may fall into a debt trap through wastefulness and excessive luxury.
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