Bedtime Stories For Kids - Cure For a King

Cure For A King


Varanasi was ruled by a king who was never tired of seeking more and more pleasure for himself. As a result, he had no time for looking into the problems of his subjects. One day a bright young man met the king and told him in confidence, "I know of three beautiful cities which abound in wealth. They are not properly protected. If you mobilize an army and follow me, I can lead you to an easy conquest of the cities." The king grew so much excited that he could hardly speak! "When-when-do we go to conquer them?" he managed to ask. "Call me the moment you are ready with your army," said the young man. The king passed on orders to his commanders to prepare for the expedition. He kept on goading them to hurry up. "My lord, the army is ready," the commanders informed him on the third day.


"Excellent!" exclaimed the king. Turning to his minister he said, "Call the young man!" "Where is he residing, my lord, and what is his name?" asked the minister. The king now realized that in his excitement he had forgotten to ask the young man his name or his address. He was awfully annoyed with himself. "Look for him at every possible place in the city," ordered the king. But the search yielded no result. The king himself went out to the streets and gazed at every face he saw, but he never saw the bright face that had inflamed in him the desire to conquer the three prosperous cities. In despair, the king abandoned the search. He sat glum and murmured to himself, "What a pity that for just a small slip I was deprived of three magnificent prizes! Only if I knew where the young man lived! It would have been still better had I arranged for his residence in the palace itself!" The king soon took to bed. His sickness grew worse as days passed. The court physicians could not cure him. When all were worried on account of the king's deteriorating health, an old Brahmin met the minister and promised to cure him.


"Look here, old man, the best physicians have failed to cure him!" said the minister. "What harm in trying me?" asked the old man. The minister did not argue. He ushered the old man into the king's room. Left alone with the king, the old man asked, "My lord, you are the king. If you wish you can have four beds in your room instead of one. But can you enjoy four beds at the same time?" "No, I cannot!" replied the king. "My lord, can you put on four sets of clothes and four crowns at the same time?" "No, I cannot!" "Then, my lord, what use bringing under your control three more cities when you are already the master of one city? Is it not unfortunate that out in search of more pleasure you have deprived yourself of whatever pleasure you had?" asked the old man. The king now understood what a fool he had been. And that was the beginning of his recovery. The old man smiled at the minister as it was a plan hatched by him along with his son to change the behavior of the king.

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