A man carrying bales of cotton cloth stopped to rest beneath a tree. Next to the tree was a large stone statue of the Buddha. The man was so tired that he fell asleep in the shelter of the pedestal. When he awoke he found that his bales of cloth had vanished. He immediately reported the matter to the police.
The judge said that as there were no witnesses to the crime, the Buddha must have stolen the goods.
“The Buddha is supposed to look after the welfare of the people, but he has failed to perform his holy duty. Arrest him.” The police arrested the stone Buddha and carried it to court. A crowd of people followed. There was laughter and much joking at the judge’s expense.
When the judge appeared, he was very angry. “How dare you people appear before the court laughing and joking? You have insulted the court, therefore I have to arrest and fine you.”
The people fell silent and began to look afraid.
“I will defer the arrest,” continued the judge, “if each one of you brings a bale of cotton cloth to the court by tomorrow. Anyone who fails will be arrested.”
The merchant immediately recognized one of the bales as his own and the thief was discovered. The judge arrested him. The stone Buddha who had escaped imprisonment was returned to his pedestal. People could have sworn that his smile was wider.
— A tale from Japan