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Once upon a time, there was a child with only fifteen francs
to his name who embarked on a journey to acquire wisdom. He encountered an
old farmer whom he politely greeted. The old man then asked him,
“My child, where are you going at this hour?”
“I am searching for knowledge,” responded the child. The old peasant
looked at the boy for a long time before inquiring further,
“How much can you give in order to gain the knowledge which you seek?”
“Five Francs!” The old man took the child’s hand and the
child gave him a five-franc piece. At this point the first lesson arrived:
“Never betray those who trust in you!” At this the child gave
him a second five-franc piece and the second lesson came just as quickly:
“Remember that everything that happens to you has already been written
in your destiny and you will keep your composure!” The boy, already
very moved, gave the old man the five francs that remained and listened intently
to the third lesson:
“My child, whomever should call you, you will respond to their call.”
At this, the child had no more money to continue his search and returned home.
After his arrival at the village, two of
the boy’s friends invited him to help them salvage a stash of gold that
had long been lost in an abandoned well. After some discussion, the two friends
insisted that he, being the lightest of the three,
be the one to enter the well. With the aide of a rope, they lowered him into
the well. He discovered two bags of gold and attached them to the rope so
that his friends could lift them out of the well. Once they had the spoils
the two friends abandoned the young boy in the well and left for the king’s
village.
The young boy waited for a long time and began to worry. Suddenly he remembered
the second lesson of the old peasant:
“Remember that everything that happens to you has already been written
in your destiny and you will keep your composure!” At that very instant,
a strong wind knocked the rope into the well and the child used it to climb
out. Thus freed, he left for the king’s village. Halfway there, he spotted
his two friends who were busy hiding the two sacs of gold in the middle of
the cemetery.
The young boy then went directly to the king’s palace and asked to be
seen by His Majesty. The king asked him,
“What can a child like you want with
me?”
“I can be of use to you because I am
able to interpret the songs of the birds to inquire about your security and
the protection of your interests,” the child responded.
At the same moment, a nightingale perched on a branch by
the window was singing. The king asked the child to interpret the song.
“That bird says that there are two bags of gold buried in the middle
of the cemetery. Your guards will accompany me to go recover the gold and
you will give me one of the bags. If I am lying you can take my life.”
The guards accompanied the child who recovered the two bags, of which the
king offered him one. There was then another bird that began to sing in the
corner of the palace and the king commanded the boy to interpret the new song.
“That bird is announcing an unfortunate piece of news. There are two
strangers in your village, both of whom are boys of my age. They are here
in hopes of seizing your throne. You must to kill them before nightfall, otherwise
you will lose your crown very shortly.” The king gave the order to search
the entire village to find the two boys and kill them. They were quickly found,
killed and buried.
At this, the king adopted the boy and made him sole heir. The king entrusted
the boy with his throne on the boy and left on a voyage. The boy spent his
nights in the royal bedchamber. During this period the king’s young
wife repeatedly tried to seduce him, but without success. One day when the
boy almost gave in, he remembered the first lesson:
“Never betray those who trust in you!” He then energetically pushed
away the young woman, who was furious.
Upon the king’s return to the village, his wife went
directly to him to tell him that his inheritor had done everything possible
to have her but that she had always rejected him. Furious, the king sent a
letter to the guards at the gates to the city telling them to kill the first
person to cross the threshold. He then sent off the unsuspecting young boy.
Halfway there, the boy heard a voice calling him. He wished to continue on
his way but remembered the third lesson:
“My child, whomever should call you, you will respond to their call.”
He responded to the speaker who retained him a moment to recount some legends.
Anxious to see the boy dead, the king’s wife had left immediately after
him and thus was the first to arrive at the gates. The guards killed her immediately.
There is always a price to pay for life, but one should never be malicious
or cruel towards others.
