The king of a small country was frustrated by dishonest workers and ministers. He hired a new gardener from another country who was honest, hard-working, and kept the garden tidy daily unlike the previous gardener. After a year of good work, the king fired the honest gardener. When questioned, the king replied "now odd is out," indicating he fired the worker for being too honest among the corrupt others. The story's moral is that an incapable king maintains his position by discouraging hard work and rewarding laziness instead of giving workers a chance to improve.