SHORT STORY: THE WORRYING KING

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

In primitive times there ruled an intelligent king. But he constantly worried about something or the other. Each moment for some reason or the other he used to feel helpless and hapless, and like any other ordinary person he never could take a problem, in a lively manner, and as a consequent of which he never laughed. Even his ministers never saw him laughing or smiling. Nor did they ever smile in his presence.

    One day the well wishers of the king, discreetly thought ways and methods to change the king. They therefore made a plan. Next time, when the king’s court was held, like every other time the king called his minister and said, ‘I’m worried about something.’ And upon hearing this, the minister promptly replied, ‘Yes sir, I know, and I have already been thinking about it.’ On hearing this, the king was astounded, ‘without my telling you, how, do you know about my worry?’ he asked.

    Minister humbly replied, ‘Your majesty, I’m not interested in learning about your problem, because I already know the solution to your problem.’ King was surprised, when he said, ‘without knowing about my problem, how do you know the solution?’  Minister replied in a peaceful tone, ‘Your majesty, quite possibly you may have not one but many problems, but to all your problems there is only one solution.’

           On hearing this, the king got baffled and hesitatingly asked, ‘May I know as to what is the solution?’

Minister replied, ‘your majesty, please don’t worry about my solution, because it is absolutely on the dot and perfect.’ The king somewhat guessed the minister when he said, ‘Well if there is a problem how can I not worry?’

    Minister bowed in respect and asked, ‘your majesty till date has your worry solved any of your problems? ‘No” replied the king. “Well if that is so then why worry?’ Mystery of success doesn’t lie in worries but removal of worries. And, it is also true that your worries lead you to your grave. The joy of life is in rejoicing, and not in worrying. Your majesty, you are so knowledgeable and with your wisdom you lead us, so then why don’t you set up a more vivacious example of yours in front of us.

 The king then realised his stupidity and ignorance and he also realised how in a subtle manner his minister and his well wishers taught him this simple fact of life. He started laughing, and was rather astonished when everyone else too, started laughing with him.

    This is an ancient story and tells us worrying is not the solution of our problem, on the contrary it makes us weak and creates barriers in the way to success. To win over your worry would mean, you have already won fifty percent of the battle.