Banish the False

In the Kingdom of Travancore

When days were of the yore

Of truth the young king became a great fan

On falsehood he announced a ban

In his zeal, a new law he declared

Accordingly, falsehood was not to be spared

“Henceforth every liar would be put to death

The State will take away his breath”

Moral, the king wanted the kingdom to turn

Truth, he wanted everyone to learn

In unison all the wise men of the court agreed

“In our kingdom, only morality we should breed”

As the new law was announced in the crowd

It was the court fool who laughed out loud

In the presence of the king

The fool started to sing

“I am going to be hanged the next day

Come ye all to the gallows to slay

I have a desire to die

And thus I speak a lie”

Next morning everybody watched the fool

Who appeared at the gallows riding on his mule

“Pray hang me high

And with the new law please do comply”

When the fool challenged them to apply the law

The king noticed a flaw

As the fool continued to shout

The king shared his doubt

“If you hang him through

His words become true

If you do not hang

The new law falls on the ground with a bang”

The fool was indeed telling a lie

But it turns true if with the new law you comply

The fool so wise

Then merrily went back singing his advise

“Immorality who could banish

False would never vanish

Learn this truth so crude

Bring the law to human altitude”