Dress and Nature

In a certain area, a gang of bandits became a menace. The police tried their best but could not capture the gang.

The police chief decided to dress some officers like bandits and sent them into the forest to gather intelligence. Little did he know, the bandits were also out in the forest, disguised as policemen.

The two groups eventually met in the forest. The officers, disguised as bandits, asked the group dressed as policemen, “Could you lay your hands on any?”

“None so far, what about you?” replied the bandits, pretending to be officers.

“Nothing!” responded the officers masquerading as bandits. The two parties then went their separate ways.

Later that evening, the officers reported to the police chief that they had encountered another group of officers in the forest. “How foolish of you!” the chief exclaimed. “Had they been real officers, do you think they would have let you pass? Did you forget you looked like bandits? They were the gang!”

Meanwhile, the bandit chief was furious when his men reported seeing more bandits. “Fools! Had they truly been bandits, don’t you think they would have fled at the sight of you since you looked like officers? Each group changed its dress, but not its nature!”