Two boys were selling fish in the marketplace. The business was very dull. At last, a customer came. He went to the first boy and enquired the price of the fish. “It’s 100 rupees per kilo, Sir,” said the boy.
The customer just glanced at the second boy and realized that he was also selling the same variety of fish. Hoping to get a better bargain from him, he moved on to him and enquired his price. Without any hesitation the second boy said, “It’s just 500 rupees per kilo”. “ What ! 500 rupees per kilo ! You are demanding 5 times the price of what the other fellow is demanding, and that too for the same kind of fish. It’s atrocious !”
“No, it’s not the same kind of fish. It might appear so, but it is a special kind of fish”. “What’s so special about it?”, the customer became curious. “It’s an intelligent fish and makes one who eats it regularly intelligent, too. That’s why it’s costlier than the other fish”. “I see, then it’s worth buying. Let me try it”. He bought a kilo of the fish, paying the hefty price of 500 rupees. He bought the fish regularly for the next six days at that exorbitant price with the fond hope of improving his intelligence.
Did it improves his intelligence ? Unfortunately, no. At the end of the week, he realized that he had been taken for a ride by that smart alec fish-monger. Furious at being cheated like that, he wanted to settle scores with that fellow.
The next day, he went straight to that boy and demanded to know whether he still sold that “intelligent fish” ? “Of course, yes,” replied that unsuspecting guy. “You bloody liar. Your “intelligent fish” is a big hoax. I have been eating it for the past 7 days, but not a speck of improvement in my intelligence. You have cheated me. Return my money, or else I’ll call the police now”.
Without batting an eyelid, the young rogue said,” Look, when I said it is an “intelligent fish”, a week ago, you didn't object to it. Now, within a week, you have become intelligent enough to find out that it can’t be an intelligent fish. Very good improvement. Isn’t it? Keep taking more of it, and you’ll become even more intelligent!”
