Long ago in ancient India, two poor brothers wandered the land searching for food. One day, they discovered a small pouch containing two precious gems. They agreed to divide the gems equally, with each brother taking one. The younger brother returned home, while the older brother continued his travels. Before they parted ways, the older brother entrusted his gem to the younger one, asking him to give it to his wife for safekeeping. This simple request would soon lead to a troubling conflict.
Three years later, the older brother came back home and asked his wife about the gem. To his surprise, she claimed she had never received it. Confused and upset, the older brother turned to his younger sibling for an explanation. “Why didn’t you give the gem to my wife as I asked?” he questioned. The younger brother confidently insisted, “I did give it to her.” But the wife denied this, and the younger brother stood firm, recalling specific details to support his claim. The tension grew as the older brother began to suspect his wife, who continued to deny ever receiving the gem.
Frustrated by the ongoing dispute, the wife decided to take the case to a local judge. 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 produced two men who claimed to have seen him hand over the gem. However, it soon emerged that these witnesses had been bribed. After hearing their testimonies, the judge concluded that the wife must be lying and had hidden the gem, hoping to obtain a second one. Despite this conclusion, the wife refused to confess and escalated the case to the king, seeking a final resolution.
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 the group complied, the king carefully compared the wax replicas. The two replicas made by the brothers matched perfectly in size and shape, while the two made by the witnesses were different from each other and from the brothers’ replicas. When it was the wife’s turn, she responded, “But Your Majesty, I have never seen the gem. How can I replicate something I have never seen?” The king immediately understood the truth. He declared that the wife had never received the gem and ordered the false witnesses to be punished for their deceit.
Terrified, the witnesses confessed their lies and begged for mercy. Although the younger brother had bribed the witnesses, the king showed mercy by sparing his life. Instead of execution, the king ordered the younger brother to receive one hundred lashes and to return the stolen gem to his older brother and sister-in-law. This wise decision restored justice and revealed the power of truth over deception.