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| Sunday, 29 August 2004 |
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The King is sick Sunday parable by Sunanda Mahendra "I feel rather sick, confused and depressed." Said the King in a disgusted tone, when the Queen appeared in the Royal chamber.
"No! no. I am positive it has nothing to do with you." "What about your ministers?" asked the Queen. "Of course they create a lot of problems, but I am not too sure as to what has gone wrong with me, for I feel rather depressed." "Anyway, I feel that we should summon our Royal physician," said the Queen. "If you may please, summon him." Then the Queen sent a messenger to fetch the Royal physician, who showed before the King in veneration. "You were quite alright a day or two before, what went wrong all of sudden?" asked the Royal physician. "I don't know. I feel rather tired and depressed." So the Royal physician then tried to diagnose what was wrong with the king in the best possible manner as he had studied over the years. While examining the physical and mental aspects of the King, he found that the King was rather worried over his ministers. But the physicians knowing the art of positive thinking inherited from his father just said: "Oh great Majesty, there is only one way of getting rid of the sickness, for it is an age old Royal sickness." "What do you mean?" asked the King. "These herbal and other medicines will take you nowhere, instead I request you to wear at least for one day the upper garment or waist coast of a man, who is happy." "What sort of treatment is that? I have not heard of that kind of treatment?" "Certainly my Lord, there are ways and means of alleviating certain sicknesses if a person wears such a garment." "In that case it is advisable to send a messenger round my kingdom to get a coat from a happy man." "But," said the Royal physician. "It should be a genuine coat of a genuine person." "How can I detect that?" "It's not easy, but the Royal messenger should be a Royal detective, who can gauge the condition of a happy man and man who pretends to be happy." So a messenger was sent announcing the fact that the King was in need of a coat of a happy man, and that a bag of hundred gold coins would be rewarded from the Royal Health Fund. The Royal messenger went in search of a happy man. He walked into the Royal recreation clubs, community centres, welfare societies, houses of rich men, bankers, relatives of ministers, dayakas and daikas of temples. "I am a happy man," said a rich man. "And I am ready to give my coat to the King," he added. "Aren't there monetary worries in your lifestyle?" asked the messenger. "I am slightly worried about one thing." "What's that?" "The King is not in good terms with me." "Oh then you aren't happy man," said the messenger leaving him. Then he met another person, a philanthropist. "I derive happiness by giving what I have." He said. "But are you not worried in some way?" asked the messenger. "I am worried about one thing!" "What's that?" "Though I give away my wealth to the needy, they don't treat me as a great man of the Kingdom." "Oh then you are not a happy man." The philanthropist was worried that he could not give his coat. Then the messenger met a businessman. "I am a happy person I don't mind giving my coat to the King." He said. On further enquiry, the messenger found that though he was a businessman the real Royal support does not reach him in the fullest sense. "I am bit worried about the links I have with the Royal family, other than that I have nothing to complain." "Oh then you aren't a happy person." The messenger left behind the businessman. Towards evening, he happened to pass by a poor man's hut. He was singing with his wife, and baby. In a happy mood, the poor man was smiling to his heart's content. "Are you a happy man?" The messenger asked the poor man. "I don't really know, but there's hardly any reason why I should be unhappy," he said. "Are you not unhappy over your state of poverty?" "No I am not." "Have you never felt unhappiness?" "No I don't know what it is, for I work hard, and that makes me happy all the time." "Do you have any enemies?" "Not to the best of my knowledge." "Have you never had any misgiving and disasters?" "I don't know of such things?" On investigating further, the Royal messenger found the person he wanted. "The King would be highly delighted to hear the news. "The messenger thought. Nodding his head in self approval of his finding, the messenger asked just one last question. "Can you give us the garment that you cover the upper part of your body?" The poor man laughed. He looked at his wife and child and laughed once again. "Why do you laugh?" the messenger asked. "Dear Sir, I don't have one." The messenger ran as fast as possible to the Royal palace and made an announcement. "Oh great Majesty, I have found the happiest man in our Kingdom." "So did you bring his coat?" "No Majesty, he does not have one." The King who got up from the throne in a healthier mood said : "Ask him to come and get this reward of hundred gold coins." |
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"Have I caused any trouble to you?" asked the Queen in a sad
mood, recalling whether she had by some error hurt the feeling of the
King.
