The Wise King

By Armaghan Afridi

Once upon a time there was a king who ruled prosperous country one day he decided to visit the neighbouring Kingdom. He heard that the neighbouring king of that Kingdom was famous for his wisdom when the king arrived and he was welcomed with great honor. The king of the neighbouring Kingdom had prepared a great feast in his honour . During the feast the king noticed a fly in his soup. He was disgusted and ordered the servants to bring another bowl of soup.The servants quickly brought the king another bowl of soup, and the feast continued without further interruption. However, the king couldn’t shake off the incident. He wondered how the neighboring king, renowned for his wisdom, would allow such a thing to happen. After the feast, he decided to discuss the matter with the wise king.

“Your Majesty,” the king began, “I am grateful for your hospitality, but I must confess that I was disturbed by a fly in my soup during the feast. How could such a thing happen in your kingdom, known for its wisdom and prosperity?”

The wise king smiled gently and replied, “Your Majesty, it is not uncommon for a fly to find its way into a bowl of soup, even in the grandest of palaces. But tell me, what did you do when you saw the fly?”

“I asked for a new bowl of soup, of course,” the king replied, still puzzled.

The wise king nodded. “And what if, instead of asking for a new bowl, you had simply removed the fly and continued eating? Would the soup have tasted any less delicious?”

The king thought for a moment. “Perhaps not,” he admitted, “but the thought of the fly was too distasteful to bear.”

The wise king’s eyes twinkled with understanding. It is not the fly that ruined your mood but your reaction to it you have the power to control your emotions don’t let them control you, In life, we often encounter small annoyances or imperfections, like the fly in your soup. We can choose to focus on them and let them ruin our experience, or we can choose to look past them and enjoy what we have. Wisdom lies not in avoiding imperfections but in how we deal with them.”

The visiting king was silent for a moment, contemplating the wise king’s words. He realized that his reaction to the fly had been more about his own discomfort than the actual situation. With a newfound perspective, he smiled and thanked the wise king for the lesson.

When the king returned to his own kingdom, he was a changed man. He learned to approach life’s challenges with patience and understanding, focusing on the bigger picture rather than getting caught up in minor inconveniences. Under his rule, his kingdom grew even more prosperous, not just in wealth, but in the happiness and wisdom of its people.

And so, the king lived out the rest of his days with a peaceful heart, grateful for the wisdom he had gained from the neighboring king and the fly in his soup.