The King's Problem
One day, the King of Krishnanagar was very worried. A rich merchant had complained that his bag of gold coins was stolen inside the palace. The guards searched everywhere but could not find the thief.
The King called Gopal Bhar and said,
"Gopal, you are known for your wisdom. Can you help me find the thief?"
Gopal bowed and replied,
"Your Majesty, I will try."
Gopal's Strange Plan
Gopal asked the King to gather all the palace servants in one hall. Then he gave each servant a stick and said,
"Keep this stick safely in your room tonight. Tomorrow, bring it back to me."
Everyone was surprised, but they obeyed.
The Clever Trick
The next morning, all the servants returned with their sticks. Gopal carefully checked each one. Suddenly, he pointed to one servant and said,
"Here is the thief!"
The servant became pale and started trembling.
The King asked,
"How did you know, Gopal?"
Gopal smiled and said,
"I told everyone that the thief's stick would grow longer by magic during the night. Out of fear, this man cut his stick shorter, thinking it would grow. That is why his stick is shorter than the others."
The Truth Comes Out
The frightened servant confessed his crime and returned the stolen gold. The King was very happy and rewarded Gopal Bhar with a bag of coins.
Moral of the Story
Intelligence and presence of mind are stronger than force.