The Traveling Merchant’s Ledger

A merchant traveled a circuit of twelve towns. In each town, he dealt with a local trader.

His method was simple. First visit: fair prices, honest weights. If the local trader reciprocated, next visit was the same. If the local trader cheated, the merchant matched the cheating on his next visit — no more, no less. If the trader returned to honesty, the merchant did too, without grudge.

Some towns tested him. They cheated once, saw the mirror, and never cheated again. A few kept cheating and got cheated in return. Most towns quickly settled into mutual honesty.

The merchant’s ledger showed that his simplest relationships were his most profitable.