Deserving Inheritors and the Way of the World

His patience exhausted, the god stretched forth his hand. "Go, herald, and search among the people. Should you fail to find three who do not adopt a cutesy voice when talking to pets, I will purge the world of life and begin anew."
The herald went. Months later, he returned.
"I have found three such. They are, however, kind of mean."
The god nodded. "The world they have preserved by their high character therefore will belong to them. Long will be the reign of people who are kind of jerks but they could be worse."
Thus it stands today.
Finis

The Hidden Burdens of Illegality

One day the king decreed a change to the law code. "The punishment for a criminal, justly tried, shall be equivalent to the harm suffered by the victims."
"How wise!" the advisors said. "How succinct! Then the murderer shall be put to death and the robber deprived of his goods."
"No!" The king stood and brought his hand down in a decisive gesture. "The murderer shall sit in a room listening to people prattle about matters of no consequence to him. The same for the robber, the adulterer, and the adjuster of scales. Every other crime shall have the same punishment."
"Surely the costs to the victims are not those," the advisors said, more doubtful than before.
"I am the king, and in every case brought before me, I am made a victim."
Soon crime vanished from the kingdom altogether.
Finis

Royal Selection

The chancellor addressed the assembly. "The king is dead without issue, and we must select another who will rule wisely, justly, and bravely. Since we've never had a king like that and have no idea how to get one, we'll listen to arguments and vote on it. Yes, you can go first, Fernid."
Fernid the buyer and seller stood. "All know that I am the most prosperous in the kingdom because of my cunning and foresight. Make me your king that I might enrich the realm as a whole."
Heddick the judge stood next. "All know that I am the most learned in the kingdom because of my principles which demand I make fair judgments based on the law and the circumstances which surround the case. Make me your king that I might ennoble the realm as a whole."
Third, Yimnon the cooper stood and flexed. "All know that though my finances are middling and my education limited, I could beat up any of you and take everything you have. However! I won't."
His speech greatly cheered the people and persuaded them, for they did not know what Fernid or Heddick might do with power once given it, and moreover, they were doing excellent service already, while Yimnon could let his apprentices take over without disruption to his business. It was not an ambitious kingdom, and under King Yimnon, it stayed that way.
Finis

Addendum

A horn should go off if they try to bypass the lock so that everyone knows they're page pirates.

The Effect of Technology on Literature

Is there some way yet to make readers pass a quiz on the book before they can advance to the next page? Those jerks have had it too good for too long.

Science Fiction Worldbuilding 2

Second question! Aliens? Third question! How good computer? Fourth question! What must a heart that loves justice do in this universe? There is no fifth question. Everything follows inexorably from the previous answers.

The Never-Ending Search for Better Words

Don't: Crimson
Do: Red-red
Don't: Quotidian
Do: Sunishly
Don't: Sword
Do: Edge of Justice