Once Upon a Time in China

- "If anyone thinks they are cleverer than Chanchi, come forward and test him. If Chanchi fails, I will remove him as minister."

- "Thieves steal, so I don't. Many work under someone, so I don't. Others are farmers, traders, carpenters, or goldsmiths. I don't do any of that. You tell me which job no one does - that's the job I'll do!"

- "Anyone who is more clever than me may come forward. I will make them my minister!"

- Jivram Joshi

F ar away, in the country of China, there was a town called Ting Shan. The king of that town was named King Ting Tang.

King Ting Tang was a carefree and proud man. He believed that no one was as clever as him.

As soon as he became king, he called his old minister and said:

"I am a clever king. My minister must be even cleverer than me. Are you cleverer than me?"

The old minister realized this was a moody and arrogant king. He thought, It's better not to work under such a ruler, and remained silent.

King Ting Tang said:

"Why are you silent? If you're cleverer than me, say yes!"

The minister said quietly, "No, I'm not."

The king immediately dismissed the minister.

Now he needed a new one.

So he made a public announcement:

"Anyone who is more clever than me may come forward. I will make them my minister!"

People already knew that King Ting Tang was unpredictable. Nobody wanted to work under such a foolish king.

Days passed, but no one came to become the minister.

One day, King Ting Tang had an idea:

Let me go out in disguise and see what the common people are doing.

He changed his appearance so no one would recognize him and wandered into a poor area. This part of town was filled with uneducated, struggling people who wore torn clothes and barely managed to feed themselves. Children there roamed around like stray puppies or kittens.

There lived an old woman who had a son named Chanchi.

Chanchi wandered wherever he pleased and did whatever came to his mind. His brain often worked in unusual ways. Many of his silly ideas got him into trouble - once even getting caught and beaten for doing something wrong. That's when he learned:

If I do bad things, I'll get punished.

So he thought,

What should I do now? I hate sitting idle. I must do something!

Eventually, Chanchi discovered something fun - telling tall tales (clever lies). But he told them smartly, always making sure not to get caught. He learned to use his brain while joking and bluffing.

A Funny Conversation

One day, Chanchi saw an old man walking with a stick. The man was bent over with age and couldn't lift his head properly.

Chanchi went up to him and said:

"Grandpa! What are you staring at on the ground?"

The old man replied:

"I'm looking into the underworld!"

Chanchi said:

"Oh really? Can you see it?"

The old man said:

"Can you?"

Chanchi smiled and said:

"If you can see it, then so can I!"

The old man laughed, "Foolish boy! I was just joking. My back is bent, that's why I look down."

Chanchi laughed too and said,

"Well then, I was joking too!"

They both burst out laughing.

King Ting Tang Notices Chanchi

Just then, King Ting Tang, in disguise, happened to pass by and overheard their conversation. He thought,

This boy is truly clever! He should be my minister.

The king called Chanchi over and asked,

"What do you do?"

Chanchi replied:

"I do what no one else does."

The king laughed and said:

"And what kind of work is that?"

Chanchi said:

"Thieves steal, so I don't. Many work under someone, so I don't. Others are farmers, traders, carpenters, or goldsmiths. I don't do any of that. You tell me which job no one does - that's the job I'll do!"

The king was impressed and said,

"Clever boy! Come with me."

"Why?" Chanchi asked.

"I have a job for you," said the king.

"Is it a job no one else does?"

"Yes!" said the king.

"Where is it?"

"In the royal palace," replied the king.

Chanchi was surprised but agreed to go.

On the Way 

to the Palace

As they walked, a donkey nearby brayed loudly. The king asked,

"Why does the donkey have such a long neck while we have short ones?"

Chanchi looked at the donkey and said:

"God does everything wisely. Donkeys don't have hands - they need a long neck to eat grass. But we humans have hands, so we can feed ourselves. That's why our necks are short."

The king nodded. Smart answer!

Then a crow flew down and landed on a tree branch. As it flew off, it dropped something on the king's bald head.

The king wiped it off and asked,

"Why do birds have wings?"

Chanchi replied:

"Because birds are small and weak. They have no hands or strong legs. They can't fight. God gave them wings so they can fly and escape danger. Otherwise, cats, dogs, or foxes would easily catch and kill them."

The king clapped and said:

"Well said, my friend!"

Chanchi Becomes Minister

At the palace, the king removed his disguise and put on his royal clothes. Chanchi was shocked to realize he had been talking to the king all along.

The king said,

"I'm King Ting Tang. You've impressed me with your cleverness. From today, you are my new minister."

He ordered his servants,

"Give Chanchi fine clothes, a palace to live in, and everything else he needs."

Chanchi moved into the minister's mansion and brought his mother to live with him too.

The People Doubt the Boy Minister

A grand meeting was held. All the noblemen and officials gathered. Chanchi was seated in the minister's chair.

Many people whispered,

"How can such a young boy be a minister?"

The king stood and said,

"Don't be surprised. Though Chanchi is young, he is wise and clever. That's why I chose him."

Still, many people doubted the decision. They whispered that the king was being foolish.

The king understood that people were questioning him.

So he made an announcement:

"If anyone thinks they are cleverer than Chanchi, come forward and test him. If Chanchi fails, I will remove him as minister."

The Big Test

A clever man came up with a challenge.

He brought a large plate covered with a cloth. Underneath were ten bowls filled with different things:

1. Diamonds and pearls, 2. Gold and silver, 3. Sweet perfume, 4. Ghee (clarified butter), 5. Sugar, 6. Clay, 7. Grains (millet), 8. A lump of mud, 9. Water, 10. Stones

He said to Chanchi:

"Pick the bowl that contains the most valuable thing."

Everyone waited.

Chanchi looked quietly, then said:

"None of them."

The court burst into laughter.

The king frowned. Was Chanchi making fun of this test?

Chanchi said,

"There isn't one most valuable thing - there are three."

He picked the bowls with:

Clay,  Water, Grains

He said:

"No one can live without food, so grains are priceless. But food cannot grow without clay and water. Jewels, perfume, gold - we can live without those. But not without these three."

The king said,

"Now tell me - is Chanchi wrong?"

The clever challenger replied:

"No, he is absolutely right."

The king said,

"Then even though Chanchi is young, his wisdom is great. He is truly fit to be our minister!"

Moral

Wisdom is not measured by age. True intelligence shines through clever thinking, honesty, and understanding what really matters in life.