The ministers were singing glories of their king, Krishnadevaraya, who was the emperor of Vijaynagara. The king was swelling in joy and pride. After all, it was his able rulership that the prisons were nearly empty, his treasury and granaries full and the citizens paid their taxes. “Since I’m a loving, upright and an honest person at heart,” the king said, “it is but natural that my subjects are like me.” The courtiers agreed wholeheartedly and spoke at length of the virtues of their king. The special advisor to the king, Tenali Rama, however, kept quiet throughout. “Why, Tenali Rama,” the king asked noticing the disapproving look on his face, “you don’t seem too happy to hear about my qualities?” “Who can deny your goodness, Maharaj!” Tenali Rama said, “It’s just that, I think differently on this matter.” “How?” “Surely, your virtues matter and inspire people, but that’s not the reason why they pay their taxes on time or refrain from any form of misdemeanor.” “Then?” “It’s because we have the right system in place. Without that, the scene would be very different.” “I disagree,” the king said. “People are good because they are inherently good.” “Sure, Maharaj. But the truth is also that people have desires and needs that repeatedly veer them off course. So much so that even the finest people sometimes struggle to put the state’s interest before their own. If our governance wasn’t the way it is, the very same people would behave dishonestly.” The ministers and the king vehemently disagreed with Tenali Rama and asked him to prove it, a challenge he took on gladly. The very next day, an announcement was made asking people for a mandatory contribution of twenty percent of their one day’s milk production for the upcoming festivities. A big vat was placed on a cart in the middle of the town and a day was set when everyone would come, climb up the platform and pour milk in the vat. They were told that it was based on the honor system and that their king had full faith in the goodness and honesty of his people. Once the sun set, the cart would be pulled by the bullocks and taken to the royal kitchen. Everyone gathered and pledged to contribute their bit. People talked amongst themselves praising their king, some even said that they would happily give an entire day’s milk production from their cattle. The whole town was upbeat and every person informed every other. “Where are you taking this jug?” the wife of a poor man asked him on the appointed day. “You know where! To donate 20% of today’s milk production.” “You think your one jug is going to get noticed? Who will feed our children?” “But, I must go,” the man contended. “All our neighbors are going.” “Go,” she said, “of course, go, but, let me give you the right quantity of milk.” With that, she took the jug from him, nearly emptied it and then filled it with water. “Just put your hand in the big vat and pour it. No one will notice.” Elsewhere in the town, a rich man was scolding his wife for filling a big can of milk. “If I started giving like you, soon we’ll be on the streets!” He took the can from her and gave her another one that had 90% water and 10% milk. “It just has to look white. When the whole town is giving, one can of milk or water won’t make a difference.” Hundreds of people made a beeline and it was not even mid-day when the vat was full already. Another one was placed and by the time sun set, not one, two or three but four vats had been filled and taken to the royal kitchen. “Well, Tenali Rama,” the king said pointing at the full vessels, “see that? How charitable and kind my people are!” “Absolutely, Maharaj. If your excellency permits, may we start boiling the milk and extract the cream else it’ll go bad in this heat?” Soon when they started transferring the milk into boilers, it looked much thinner than usual, as if it wasn’t milk but butter milk. Nevertheless, when the time came to extract cream from the boiled milk, the yield was not even five percent of the expected output. “Maharaj,” the royal chef informed the king, “forgive me for breaking the sad news, but the milk was anything but that. It was all just water, 95% of it was just water.” Krishnadevaraya was quite upset and his courtiers quiet. “I never imagined that my people could be so dishonest. Have I been such a bad king that I couldn’t inspire them to do good on their own?” “Maharaj! Please,” Tenali Rama said, “neither you nor our …