The Prince’s Paradox: A Tale of Fashion and Authority

Prince Ling was fond of seeing his women in 'mannish' garb. Before long all the women in the kingdom had taken to wearing men's clothes. The Prince then issued an ordinance against the fad in the following words:

'Any woman who is found wearing men's clothes shall have her robe torn and her belt ripped." Soon the streets were filled with women with torn robes and broken belts, but the mannish fashion persisted.

When 'Yentze' was in audience, the Prince asked, "I have issued an order prohibiting women from wearing men's clothes. All those who offended have had their clothes torn, and yet the fashion persists. How do you account for that?" 'Yentze' answered, "Your Highness has caused your women to wear it within the palace at the same time that you banned it without; it is as if you had hung a cow's head at your door and sold horse meat inside. "Why don't you ask that this habit be ended in your own house? Then there would be no one who would dare practice it abroad."

"Fine!" said the Prince, and ordered that the fashion be abolished within his household. After a month there was not a woman in the kingdom who affected mannish fashion.