• The Guilty Dogs

Justice must be fair.

Once upon a time, a powerful king rode a magnificent chariot pulled by six beautiful white horses. Every evening, after a long day, the horses returned to their stables, while the chariot, with its leather harnesses, was left outside in the palace courtyard.

One night, heavy rain poured down, making the leather straps soft. The palace dogs saw this and thought, "This looks fun!" Excited, they quietly sneaked into the courtyard and began chewing on the soft leather. They played all night and left before sunrise.

The next morning, when the stable workers saw the damaged chariot, they were shocked. They rushed to the king and reported, "Your Majesty, someone has destroyed the leather harnesses of the chariot. It looks like dogs have chewed them."

Hearing this, the king became furious. "Punish all the dogs in the city!" he ordered.

When the city dogs heard about the king’s command, they were terrified. Nearly seven hundred dogs gathered and went to their wise and brave leader for help.

"Why do you all look so sad?" the chief dog asked.

"The king has blamed us for chewing the chariot’s harnesses, and now he wants to get rid of all of us!" they cried.

The wise leader thought carefully. "No city dog could have entered the palace. It must have been the palace dogs. I will prove it and save my people."

With courage, the chief dog walked straight to the palace. The guards were ready to chase him away, but they hesitated when they saw the kindness and confidence in his eyes. He walked past them and entered the king’s court.

Standing before the king, the chief dog spoke, "Your Majesty, why do you want to punish all the city dogs?"

"They destroyed my chariot’s leather harnesses!" the king replied.

"But do you know which dogs did it?" the chief dog asked.

The king admitted, "I don’t know. That’s why I ordered all city dogs to be punished."

"Then what about the palace dogs?" the chief asked.

"They are safe," the king said. "Only the city dogs are being punished."

"Is that fair, Your Majesty?" the wise dog questioned. "Why are the palace dogs innocent while the city dogs are blamed? Is this true justice?"

The king fell silent for a moment. Then he asked, "If not the city dogs, then who is responsible?"

"The palace dogs," the chief dog answered firmly.

The king wanted proof. The chief dog suggested, "Bring the palace dogs here and feed them kusa grass and buttermilk. You will see the truth."

The palace dogs were brought in and given the food. As soon as they ate it, bits of chewed leather fell from their mouths. The real culprits were revealed.

The king was astonished. "You have opened my eyes," he admitted. "Justice should be fair, no matter who is involved. From now on, all city dogs shall be treated with kindness and given good food every day."

And so, the city dogs lived happily ever after, enjoying the king’s care and protection.