Once a Sultan, disguised as a common traveller, went out on a tour of his state. Walking far beyond his capital town, he lost his way. It was evening. He located a solitary hut near a forest. He peeped in and saw a woodcutter sitting near his oven and cooking food.
The Sultan sought shelter with the woodcutter for the night. The woodcutter welcomed him and cooked some delicious dishes for him. The king had never had such a happy dinner to be followed by such a peaceful sleep.
In the morning the Sultan took leave of his host. He had found out that the woodcutter worked very hard for a small income. The Sultan sent his messengers who led the woodcutter to the palace. The Sultan did not wish to cause any awkwardness to the woodcutter before others. So he met him alone in an inner chamber of the palace. The woodcutter could not have recognized the Sultan in the new environment and more so because now the Sultan was in his royal robe. But the Sultan told him that he was none other than the traveller who had been his guest.
The woodcutter was amazed. He bowed to the Sultan again and again.
“I appoint you the Master of Trade in this town. No ware can come to the market from other states without your permission.”
The man who had entered the palace as a woodcutter came out of it as an important officer.
Some months later the Sultan died. The young prince ascended the throne. The new Sultan never drank coffee. That
This is why it took a long time for him to learn that there was no coffee available at the market.
Some traders who managed to import coffee sold it at a very high price and made far greater profit than they deserved.
The new Sultan enquired into the matter and found out that two ships loaded with coffee had been refused permission by the Master of Trade to unload their commodity in the harbour!
The Sultan thought over the situation for a moment. He smiled. The same evening he invited the Master of Trade into his garden room and prepared a cup of coffee for him. Handing, over the cup to the guest himself, he said, “Officer, this has to be taken very slowly, sip by sip. I will never forget the bad experience I had had when someone offered it to me for the ‘age?” asked the young Sultan. first time and I drank it up as though it was a cup of milk!”
The fact is, the young Sultan had observed from the window of his room this man being offered coffee by his late father when he was brought to the palace the first time. The man, then a woodcutter who had never tasted coffee, had tried to gulp it all at once and had burnt his lips and tongue, though he had kept his cool.
“How do you like the beverage? Asked the young Sultan.
It is delicious, my lord,” replied the Master of Trade.
“I’m happy that you liked my coffee,” said the young Sultan.
The Master of Trade never objected to the next ship carrying coffee to anchor in the harbour! The price of the coffee came down in no time.
