A king wanted to test his people's patience and tolerance for abuse.
The kingdom had only one bridge connecting people to their workplaces, and it had always been free to cross.
As an experiment, the king ordered his minister to charge a 1-rupee toll. A few people protested the next morning, but most paid reluctantly—they needed to work. Soon, paying became routine.
Surprised by their compliance, the king raised the toll to 2 rupees and then continued to increase it. Even at 5 rupees, people grumbled but continued crossing.
Wanting to push further, the king instructed his guards to not only collect the 5 rupees but also slap each person with a slipper.
The next day, an angry crowd marched to the palace. The king smiled, thinking he'd finally found their breaking point.
But the crowd had an unexpected request: "Your Majesty, please hire more people to slap us. The morning traffic jams are terrible when only one person is doing it."
FIN