This story is about a very badly behaved man - how a young boy invents a plan to change his behavior - and, with the help of the other villagers, succeeds.


This book is one of a series of illustrated Teaching-Stories by Idries Shah, stories which have captivated hearts and minds for more than a thousand years. The stories are designed to help children learn to examine their assumptions and to think for themselves. Children, of course, love the idea of an adult behaving badly. At the same time the story helps children learn valuable lessons about initiative, negotiation, conflict resolution, and cooperation.