The Tax Collector

A kingdom collected taxes through regional collectors who reported only the final sum.

For years, revenue was steady. The king was satisfied.

Then revenue dropped sharply. The king demanded an explanation. No one had one. No one knew which regions had declined, or why, or when the decline had started.

The new king required detailed reports from each region, each village, each season.

"This is burdensome," the collectors complained.

"Ignorance is more burdensome," the king replied. "I buried my father's kingdom. I will not bury my own."