Once upon a time, there lived a benevolent king who delighted in helping everyone. The king had three sons. The eldest was named Jacob, the second son was Leo and the last son was David.
Unlike his father, Jacob was disdainful of the poor and constantly mocked them. The king’s wife, the queen, had passed away due to a serious illness. Leo, who was once kind, became depressed and angry, after his mother’s death. He started bullying his peers and ridiculing the impoverished. But the youngest son, David, was compassionate and kind-hearted, much like his father.
As the king aged and his health deteriorated, he decided it was time to proclaim one of his sons as the next king. He summoned his children and announced, “My dear sons, as you know I have fallen seriously ill. So, it is time for me to choose a successor.”
The sons nodded solemnly.
The king continued, “I have decided to test your integrity. Each of you take one of these cows for grazing. If you are a good person, your cow will turn gold. But if the cow remains the same, do not despair. Try your best. I’ll inspect your cows after a couple of days.”
The next day, Jacob was with his cow in the shed. He saw his brother Leo painting his cow gold! Realizing his own lack of virtue, Jacob also began painting his cow.
After two days, the king came to inspect the cows. Leo and Jacob proudly said, “Father, look at our cows. They have turned gold!”
David, however, solemnly said, “I’m sorry, father. I couldn’t do it. My cow is still in the same colour.”
The king replied,” No, my son David, you have succeeded! How could a cow turn gold in this world? I wanted to test your honesty. You have proven yourself and thus you shall be the king from now onwards.”
The youngest son was elated, but the elder sons hung their heads in shame.
Moral: Whatever happens in the dark will always come to light.
December, 2024
