Week 10 Storytelling: Prince Wicked and the Grateful Animals

Author's Note. One of my favorite stories that I read this week was one of the children's stories. It is called Prince Wicked and the Grateful Animals. It tells of a prince who was...wicked...just as his name says. He gets lost in a river after a storm and a poor old man saves him, along with a rat, parrot, and snake that were on the same log. After taking care of them and they get ready to return home they each promise to have treasure/money set aside for him if he ever needs it in the future. He goes back to all of them later in the story to see if they would keep their promises. They all do, except for the prince (who became the king after time had passed). King Wicked decided to order the poor man to be killed so no one would find out that he had saved the prince a long time ago. In the end, wise men in the city question the poor man and the truth is revealed. King Wicked was no more and the poor man was crowned King! He returned to all the animals later on, building them nice houses beside him so they could all live together nicely! I decided to write my storytelling assignment this week about this story but changing the ending. Instead of the King being killed, I would rather he learn his lesson. I hope you enjoy!

As King Wicked rode on his beautiful white elephant, he waved at the peasants he now ruled. He thought all about how his life had turned out. What a man I am now. I can now be the King I was always meant to be. I shall do whatever my heart desires. I will...wait. Who is that. That poor, wretched man who saved me. Sure, he saved me, but that was his duty as a peasant of this city. No one can find out about this. 

"Guards. Seize that man over there and kill him." King Wicked tried to muster up his sternest look to force the guards into acting without question. The guards, always having been fearful and uneasy about the King, followed his orders. They ran up to the poor man and bound his hands and feet. They beat him until they could beat him no more. The poor man stayed silent aside from one phrase he kept repeating. With every hit, he kept saying "it is better to save the animals than to save a prince." 

The King was close enough to hear what the poor man was saying. For some reason, that repeated phrase hit him strongly. He sat silently on the elephant and contemplated the poor man's words. I am the King. Yet the man believes the animals are more important than me. I must find out why he thinks mere animals are more valuable than human beings. 

"Guards. Stop. Bring him inside the palace at once," the King thundered.

As they carried the badly beaten, poor man into the palace, the King had gotten off the elephant and followed them inside.

The guards left the two alone in the library to discuss their matters privately.

The poor man looked at the now grown boy with pity in his eyes. Even after having been beaten because of the King, he couldn't help but feel sorry that the King never learned any positive traits. Meanwhile, the King couldn't understand why the poor man was looking at him that way. He decided it was time to get his questions answered.

"Poor man. Why did you utter those words as you were being beaten? Are mere animals more important than me, a human being?

The poor man once again felt pity. "My King, it is not whether one is an animal or one is human. It is the presence or absence of simple courtesy, kindness, and love that I care about. After saving you all from that dreadful storm, you all promised me financial help if the time ever came that I needed it. To see if you all would keep your promises, I visited each one of you. Upon visiting their abodes, my dear snake, parrot, and rat all responded as soon as I uttered their names. With you, I was met with nothing but hostility. You lacked even the courtesy of kindly turning me away. You simply decided I should be killed so you could avoid embarrassment. And THAT is why I never regretted saving the animals. They actually cared for me and kept their promise."

The King, who had never been scolded a day in his life, finally felt the pain of realizing his mistakes. He could do nothing but ask for forgiveness. Rising up from his chair in his long, burgundy robes and grand crown upon his head, the King fell to his knees at the feet of the poor man and begged for his forgiveness.

"I am deeply sorry for all I have done. I have never learned what kindness was as a child because everyone assumed I was rotten and was treated as such. You have shown me what kindness is. I made the mistake of returning that kindness with hostility. I ask you to forgive me, with the promise that I will now and forever treat everyone with respect and kindness. I also ask that you join my royal court, as my personal and closest advisor. I need a mentor like you to teach me how to rule a kingdom in the best of ways."

The poor man was proud to see that the King had taken the first step in changing for the better. In the following years, the King, the man (poor no more), and the animals lived happily ever after in the grand palace treating their townspeople with respect and care.

A happily ever after (Image Source).

Bibliography.

Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt (2008). Web Source: The Baldwin Project.