A king was riding through the countryside. He met a peasant ad asked him how much he earned.

`Four coins a day, your majesty,’ the man said.

`And how do you spend your four coins?’

`one on my self, one I give in gratitude, one I give back, and one I give on interest.’

The king was puzzled. He asked the man to explain.

`one part of the money I spend on myself,’ said the man., `one part on my wife because I am grateful for all that she does for us, one part on my aged parents for all that they did for me, and one part on our children because I hope they will pay me back by looking after me and my wife in our old age’.

`That’s fine’ said the king. `Please keep the answer a secret until you have seen my face a hundred times.’

`certainly, your majesty,’ said the peasant.

That evening the king asked his ministers to explain the riddle. Nobody knew answer but one if them said he would have the answer in twenty –four hours.

The minister searched around and found the peasant who had spoken to the king. He asked him the answer to the riddle. The man refused to tell him, but the minister gave him a bag of coins and so he told him the answer.

.the minister told the king. The king knew at once that it was the peasant who had told him the secret. He sent for the man.

`Did not I tell you not to tell anybody the answer till you had seen my face a hundred times?’ he demanded angrily.

`but, your majesty, I saw your face a hundred times before I told him the answer,’ replied the peasant. `He gave me a bag of hundred coins and each one had your face on it.

The king was delighted with his wit and gave him a fine reward.