The King and the Poor Boy

Once upon a time, a country was ruled by a Great King. He was a good man. He loved his country, and he loved his people.

Alas, the King was growing old, and he had no heir to give his kingdom to. He surely wanted his legacy to continue long after he had dies. He wanted his people to be ruled again, like him. Strong, yet with great kindness, compassion and compassion.

He therefore sent notice, to all the young men in his kingdom, that he wished to choose an heir. Someone to rule as he did and enjoy all the riches of his kingdom.

He made only one rule, which was, the appropriate candidate need only be kind, caring and compassionate to his fellow man… showing greater love for others, rather than himself.

Well, this caused quite a stir among the young men of his kingdom. After all, who wouldn’t want to be a king of such a great land?!

A young man, standing in his father’s field working the land, saw a group of other young men gather around what he noticed was a simple sheet of paper… a message from the king!

They were all laughing and reveling in this great opportunity as they all felt worthy and would surely compete for this great position.

After they had walked away, the humble young man who had been watching from afar, came upon the place they had been standing. He saw the paper lying on the ground.

He picked it up and read the words from his king. “My kingdom shall be handed-down, upon my death, to anyone willing and able to meet the demands I have set forth!”

He continued reading, “The candidate must be kind, compassionate and caring. Mostly, he must be willing to put all others above himself, and give fully, out of the kindness of his heart. Only this person, and this person alone, will be eligible to rule my kingdom.”

The young man thought about this great offer intently. “How great this would be,” he said to himself.

He then looked down upon the clothing he was wearing. He had not much more than rags around his body and his shoes were simple sandals that kept falling from his feet.

“How can I even think myself worthy of such a great reward. I cannot even face my king with respect if I were to see him dressed as this.”

He then looked up at his family. His father and mother were still working in the fields. He saw how they struggled to do their daily tasks, as they had become older and were in poor health.

He then knew what he had to do. He said to himself, “I will work harder. I will ask others to hire me, and work day and night, until I’ve earned enough to better clothe myself and prepare my journey to meet with the king.”

The young man did just that. He worked for days, in the sweltering sun and dark cold of the night. Soon, he had what he needed to present himself for consideration to the king.

He traveled many days as the journey was long. Soon, he could see the king’s castle in the very near distance. “At last,” he cried. “I am finally here!”

Before he reached the castle gates, he came across a beggar on the side of the road. He was clothed in nothing but rags and was filthy from the dirt on the streets he sat upon.

“Please sir,” the beggar pleaded. “I have been out here for days, and no one has given me anything. Could you possibly spare something to eat and perhaps a coat from your bag for an old man that has fallen on dark times?”

The young man simply smiled at him. He knew what was right. He then opened his bag and gave all the food that he had to the old beggar. Then, he took his new clothes off and gave them to the beggar.

After this, the old beggar, painfully stood-up and hugged the young man tightly. “Thank you young man. I am so grateful. I can never repay you for what you have done for me this day!”

The beggar thanked the young man over and over again and hugged him tightly as if he was never letting go. The young man responded, “You are welcome my old friend. Go, feed yourself and put something warm on for the night is coming soon.” The beggar did as he asked and went on his way.

Now, the young man stood alone and looked at what he had done. He thought quietly to himself, “How can I face the king now? I am no longer ‘presentable’ to his majesty and will surely be thrown out of the castle upon my arrival!”

Nonetheless, as the young man thought again about his aging parents and fellow villagers, he knew he had to go on. He knew he had to take care of the ones he loved.

Surprisingly, as he reached the castle gate, he was greeted and allowed to enter the castle. There, he sat for a moment trying to gather himself before standing before the king.

Soon, he was led into a great hall! It was magnificent… elaborate marble flooring with great granite pillars that seemed to reach to the sky!

The king’s aide said, “The king is coming. Prepare to meet his majesty!”

The now trembling young man, fell to his knees and lowered his head. He could not even lift-up his eyes because he felt unworthy to look upon his king!

He then heard these words: “Stand up young man and behold your king!”

When they young man finally gathered enough strength, and courage, to raise his head looked at his king for the first time. When he did so, he gasped! The king was not a king at all. He was the old beggar the young man had met on the street!

“You, your majesty! You are the beggar I met this morning… but you are a king!!! Why have you done this?”

The king smiled at the young man. He reached out his hand and took the young man’s hand in his, raising him to his feet.

He then spoke. “I had to be sure that you had a good heart, and you genuinely love your fellow man. I knew if I came to you as a king, you would have done anything to impress me. But, that way, I would never have known what was truly in your heart.”

He went on, “The generosity and love to the one in need without expecting anything in return is the sign of a great heart! Looking at your love and generosity towards the beggar, proved that you sincerely love your fellow human beings.”

 The king then added, “This country needs a leader who would work for the welfare of all of the nation, not just the ones who would offer and cater to the throne. You have proven that you are the right person to be my successor, promised the king.”

Kindness, compassion and love for his fellow man had earned the young man’s way into a glorious kingdom! Now, he could not only take care of his ailing family but could deliver his heart to all those around him.