Concerned about the corruption in his kingdom, the king goes to see an old and wise hermit.

“Please help me,” he begs the hermit. “My kingdom abounds with corrupt men. I want to know who among them are honest and who are not.”

The hermit asks the king to wait awhile. He enters his red hut and starts preparing a potion. When he comes out, he hands the king a huge clay jar.

“Your majesty,” says the hermit, “you are holding a jar of magical potion. To know who among your officials are corrupt, make each one drink some of this potion. After imbibing this, a corrupt man will grow horns on his forehead. The more corrupt he is, the more horns he will have.”

The king leaves with the jar of magical potion. Upon his return to the city, he throws a party for all public officials. He asks the waiters to pour a glass of the potion for each of his guests. Everyone drinks it without knowing what it is.

“Finally,” the king tells himself, “I will know who among them are corrupt.”

Suddenly most of the guests start sprouting horns. Everyone, except the king, is shocked and terrified. Some of the guests have two horns, others four, most have seven.

The king beckons everyone in a loud and authoritative voice. The guests gather around him as he explains why many of the officials have sprouted horns. He beams confidently to them since he has no horn.

“Hypocrites!” the king rebukes them. “You corrupt men! Deceivers if the people! You pretend to be servants, yet all the while you serve only yourselves! You deserve your horns! You devils! You shall have no place in my kingdom!”

After the king finishes speaking, a waiter silently hands him a glass. Thinking that it contains wine, he drinks from it. Soon, everyone starts laughing and making fun of the king.

Ten horns are growing on the kings’s forehead.