The Emperor and the Fortune-Teller

Once an Emperor invited a reputed fortune-teller to his court.The fortune-teller was known for making correct predictions. The emperor welcomed him with great respect and offered him a seat.
Then the emperor gave him his horoscope and said, "Learned sir, please read my horoscope and tell me what the future has in store for me."
The fortune-teller studied the horoscope very carefully. Then he said, "Your Majesty, I will tell you the bare facts which your stars tell me. Please do remember that I don't tell imaginary tales."
The Emperor said, "I understand what you mean. Please tell me your findings without any fear."
The fortune-teller, to begin with, told the Emperor all the good things that the future had in store for him. The Emperor felt very happy to hear about those good things.

But, when the fortune-teller began to tell the Emperor about his misfortunes, the Emperor felt very sorry. At one stage he felt very much offended and he shouted at the fortune teller, "Say no more of your nonsensical stuff. Just tell me what your stars say about the time of your death."

The clever fortune-teller knew what the Emperor had in his mind. So he said, "Your Majesty, I am going to die just one day earlier than you."
The Emperor, in a fit of anger, was about to give an order for putting the fortune-teller to death. But, when he heard the fortune-teller's prediction about his own death, he changed his mind. He recalled his good senses and admired the fortune-teller's witty reply. He gave him rich royal gifts and sent him away respectfully.

The Ignorant Prince

A powerful king of India had a son, who was not very bright. He wanted him to have best teachers, so he called them to the palace in order that they could teach the boy every thing that they knew. They did their best, and after few years the prince could answer all their questions.

The king was well satisfied, but one old wise man warned him,’ everything your son knows is about the past, but a truly wise man should also know the future.’

A fortune teller was then called to the palace and he, too, taught the prince all about his art. Months later, the wise man tested the boy again. The wise man showed the king and his courtiers something which he held in his hand; then he closed his hand and showed it to the boy, asking him to guess what was inside.
‘It is hard, white object,’ the boy said, concentrating hard. ‘It is round and has a hole in the middle…It must be a grindstone.’
Everyone burst out laughing, because the object was indeed hard, white and round, with a hole in the middle, but it was a pearl, not a grindstone.’

‘True wisdom’, commented the wise man ‘lies not in knowing everything, but in making proper use of whatever knowledge we do have.’