A City Ruler, sitting with his Advisor, was eating honey on puffed rice. A drop of honey fell from the City Ruler’s hand onto the windowsill.

“Oh, your majesty!” said his Advisor, “A drop of honey has fallen onto the windowsill!”

“Never mind,” said the City Ruler. “It is not our problem.”

The drop of honey dripped from the windowsill all the way to the ground. A fly landed on the drop of honey and began to eat it. But a gecko jumped on the fly and began to eat it.

“Your Excellency, a fly was eating the honey that fell from your hand. And now a gecko is eating the fly that was eating the honey.”

“Never mind,” said the City Ruler. “It is not our problem.”

A cat pounced on the gecko and began to eat it. And a dog ran out from the palace and attacked the cat. The dog and the cat were fighting by the palace.

“Your Excellency, now a cat is eating the gecko and a dog has attacked the cat. They are fighting by the palace.” “Well,” said the City Ruler. “It is not our problem.”

The owner of the cat saw the dog attack her cat. So she ran out with a broom and began to beat the dog. But when the owner of the dog saw the woman beating his dog, he ran out and began to beat her.

“Your Excellency … that drop of honey that fell from your hand…well a fly tried to eat it and a gecko ate the fly and a cat ate the gecko and a dog attacked the cat and now the owner of the cat has attacked the dog and the owner of the dog has attacked the woman…and the two are now fighting by the palace. I should send someone to stop the fight.”

“Never mind,” sighed the City Ruler. “It is not our problem.”

Soon the friends of the woman saw what was going on. They hurried to defend her.

But the friends of the man also saw what was going on. They rushed to defend him.

Soon a large fist fight had broken out under the palace.

“Your Excellency,” pleaded the Advisor. “Now the woman’s friends have attacked the man and his friends have attacked her friends. There is a great fight going on right by the palace. We should do something to stop this.”

“Never mind,” insisted the City Ruler. “It is not our problem.”

The soldiers were passing through town just then. When they saw the fight they rushed to break it up.

But when they heard the situation, some sided with the man and some sided with the woman. The soldiers began to fight among themselves. A civil war broke out!

In the fighting the palace was burned to the ground. The City Ruler and his Advisor stood in the ashes.

“You know…” said the City Ruler. “I think the drop of honey was our problem.”