The Legend of the King and Water

A long time ago there lived a very wise king. He lived in a beautiful castle on the top of the hill and all the people of the town lived below in the valley.

The King was very kind, and all the people loved him. One day the king sent a messenger to all the people in the valley. In the message the king told them that his well had gone dry and  asked if they could each bring some water to the castle the following day. In turn he also invited them to stay for a banquet that evening.

The villagers were thrilled to be invited to a banquet at the castle. The king was known for his generosity and was sure to provide a fabulous feast. Everyone in the village would want to attend! They asked the messenger how much water each of them were to bring. He replied that the king hadn't specified how much; he was sure that the king would be pleased with whatever they could bring.

The next day the villagers began their trip up to the castle, each of them carrying containers filled with water. There were buckets, cups, jugs, teaspoons, and a few people were seen pulling heavy wagons filled with big barrels of water.

Whey they arrived at the castle the king greeted them warmly and thanked them for their efforts. They went in to the castle and enjoyed a feast more marvelous than any they had imagined! After the banquet the king thanked them all again and told them the servants had emptied the water into his well and would they please pick up their containers and take them home with them.

They in turn thanked the king for the wonderful feast he had provided. When the villagers went to pick the containers they were amazed to find their containers had been filled with gold and jewels, each as much as it would hold. Imagine the excitement of those who had brought buckets and barrels! Many who had brought only small cups or spoons were disappointed and felt sad that they hadn't made more of an effort to help their beloved king. The villagers who had given so much had been richly blessed!

MORAL: We must remember to treat others as we would like to be treated.