Article / Story / Poem / Short Story

This too shall pass – Dinesh Yadav [ New Delhi ]

Once a king called upon all of his wise men and asked them, “Is there a suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstance, in every place and in every time. All wise men got puzzled by the king’s question.

After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appealed to all of them. They went to the king and gave him something written on paper. But the condition was that king was not to see it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the king finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he’ll have to see it. The king put the paper under his diamond ring.

After a few days, the neighbors attacked the kingdom. It was a surprise attack by the king’s enemies. The king and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. The king fled on his horse with the enemies following him. His horse took him far away in the jungle.

He could hear many troops of horses following him and the sound was coming closer and closer. Suddenly the king found himself standing at the end of the road. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep. The sound of the enemy’s horses was approaching fast. The king became restless. There seemed to be no way.

Then suddenly he saw the diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was very small but very great. The message was – “This too will pass.”

The king read it. Again read it. Suddenly something struck him- Yes! It too will pass.

Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the kings. Yet today, the kingdom and all my pleasures have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. However when those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. He became calm. 

(To be continued ).

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