The Wise King and the Case of the Missing Gem

Long ago, in ancient India, two poor brothers roamed the land in search of food. One day, they stumbled upon a small pouch containing two precious gems. They agreed to divide the gems equally, each taking one. The younger brother returned home, while the older brother continued his travels. Before parting ways, the older brother entrusted his gem to the younger one, asking him to give it to his wife for safekeeping.

The Conflict Over the Missing Gem

Three years later, the older brother returned home and asked his wife about the gem. To his surprise, she claimed she had never received it. Perplexed, the older brother turned to his younger sibling for answers.
"Why didn’t you give the gem to my wife, as I asked?"
The younger brother confidently replied, "I did give it to her."
"But she says you didn’t."
"She’s lying. I gave it to her myself," the younger brother insisted, recalling specific details to back up his claim.

Suspicious of his wife, the older brother confronted her once more. However, she continued to deny receiving the gem. Frustrated by the situation, the wife decided to bring the case before a local judge.

The Trial: Deception and the Search for Truth

The judge summoned both brothers and began questioning the younger one sternly:
"Did you give the gem to your sister-in-law? Do you have any witnesses to support you?"
The younger brother presented two men who claimed they had seen him hand over the gem. However, it was soon discovered that these witnesses had been bribed. After listening to their testimonies, the judge concluded that the wife must be lying and had hidden the gem in hopes of obtaining a second one. Despite this, the wife refused to confess. She took the matter to the king, seeking a final resolution.

The King’s Wisdom: A Test of Truth

The king summoned everyone involved: the two brothers, the wife, and the two witnesses. He handed each person a piece of beeswax and ordered them to mold a replica of the gem.

As everyone complied, the king compared the wax replicas. The two made by the brothers matched each other perfectly in size and shape. However, the two made by the witnesses were not only different from the brothers’ replicas but also inconsistent with each other.
The king then turned to the wife and commanded:
"Now, you make a wax replica of the gem."
She replied, "But Your Majesty, I have never seen the gem. How can I replicate something I’ve never seen?"

The king immediately understood. He declared that the wife had indeed never received the gem. He ordered the false witnesses to be hanged for their deceit. Terrified, the witnesses confessed to their lies and begged for mercy.

While the younger brother had been responsible for bribing the witnesses, the king showed mercy. Instead of executing him, the king ordered that the younger brother receive one hundred lashes and return the stolen gem to his older brother and sister-in-law.