The Rat Catcher's Dilemma

A town paid a bounty for every dead rat.

The rat catcher, earning well, worked hard. Rat sightings dropped. The town rejoiced.

But the rat catcher noticed something. With fewer rats, his income fell. So he quietly released a breeding pair on the outskirts of town.

The rats multiplied. The bounties resumed. The rat catcher prospered.

Years later, the town had more rats than ever, and the rat catcher had built a fine house.