PROHIBITION
A Teaching Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE
Here is a Ancient Wisdom Story titled “Prohibition”
Concerned at the increasing drunkenness and alcoholism in his kingdom, a famous king imposed strict prohibition on wine and liquor.
Earlier most people in that kingdom used to make their own liquor at home and had all the paraphernalia for distilling home-made liquor, and though they had stopped distilling liquor at home after prohibition was imposed, many such innocent people were arrested merely for possession of vats and distillery apparatus in their houses and they were punished severely in the same terms as those actually caught making illegal illicit liquor.
The Prime Minister advised the King not to be so severe with those people who merely had vats in their homes and were not actually distilling liquor but the king would not budge saying that even those having the tools of the trade deserved punishment.
One day,the king was driving his chariot along with his Prime Minister in the country when they saw a young man sitting under a tree.
“Have that man arrested…!” the Prime Minister told the King.
“What has he done…?” asked the king in puzzlement.
“That man is going to commit adultery…!” the Prime Minister proclaimed.
“How do you know…?” the king asked perplexed.
“He has the tools of adultery, just as those people have their vats…!”
The king broke out into a loud laugh and ordered that the people arrested for mere possession of vats be released immediately.
VIKRAM KARVE
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
vikramkarve@sify.com
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