Mr. Pang was a very smart helper to the King, and he had a big, important journey to make. He was going to a faraway land with the Prince, and he was a little bit worried.

Before he left, he went to see the King. "Your Majesty," he said, "I have a question. If one person ran into the palace shouting, 'There's a tiger in the marketplace!' would you believe them?"

The King chuckled. "A tiger in our busy market? Just one person saying so? Of course not! That’s silly."

"What if two people came shouting the same thing?" Mr. Pang asked.

The King thought for a moment, stroking his beard. "Hmm, two people? I might start to wonder. I might peek out the window to see if there was any commotion."

"And what if three different people all rushed in, all saying, 'A tiger! A tiger in the market! Help!'" Mr. Pang continued.

The King’s eyes went wide. "Three people! Goodness me, I’d probably believe them then! I’d tell everyone to be careful and send the guards!"

Mr. Pang nodded. "Exactly, Your Majesty! There are no tigers in our marketplace, are there? It's a place for buying vegetables and toys, not for wild animals. But if enough people say it, you start to believe it, even if it’s not true."

He then looked seriously at the King. "I’m going to be away for a long, long time. I’m worried that while I’m gone, some people who don't like me might tell you untrue things about me. Maybe more than three people! Please remember our tiger story and don’t believe them too easily."

The King smiled. "Don’t you worry, Mr. Pang. I trust you. I won’t listen to silly stories."

So, Mr. Pang went on his journey. And just as he feared, after he was gone for a while, some people started to whisper things about him. "Mr. Pang isn't very good," said one. "I heard Mr. Pang made a big mistake," said another. Soon, many people were saying not-so-nice things, even though they weren't true.

The King heard these whispers. At first, he ignored them, remembering Mr. Pang. But then he heard them again, and again, from different people. He started to wonder. After hearing so many bad things, so many times, he began to think, "Oh dear, maybe Mr. Pang isn't so good after all. So many people are saying it, it must be true."

When Mr. Pang finally came back from his long trip, he was excited to see the King. But the King, who had heard all those untrue stories over and over, didn't want to see Mr. Pang anymore. He had forgotten about the silly idea of a tiger in the marketplace and had believed all the whispers instead.

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