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  You become wise when you can look across three generations, understand them all, and defend each of them independently.  Allan Bukusi

Monday, March 5, 2012

The Kings Friend

The Kings Friend

CHILDREN'S STORIES

 

The king lived in the capital of all the cities in the Kingdom. He was a just and fair king. Everyone agreed that he was a good king and that he was good to all his friends and many times he even forgave his enemies. A good king needs friends because, not everybody is always happy with the king. Some people just like making trouble.

 

The Kings friend did not always agree with the king, but when they were working together for the kingdom, they would always agree on what is best for the people. The easiest way to work with anybody is to agree on a goal and work towards it. The king's friend spent much time in the palace. Everyone knew they were working on good plans for the people. But all was not well in the whole kingdom.

 

The Kings friend was not a paid member of staff, but even kings need friends. He worked in the business capital like everybody else. There were good times and difficult times in business, but no special privileges were given to anyone, even to the kings friend. The only privilege the Kings friend had was being known as the king's friend. One day he asked for some land to buy a house. The king granted his friends request. The Kings friend paid the full price of the land for almost two years. He built a beautiful garden on the land with a wonderful gardener.

 

One day, news reached the King of trouble in the far north of the kingdom. The King had to leave at once to go and sort out the trouble in the north. That night he wrote a letter to his friend explaining what had happened and what he had gone to do. He thought he would be back soon and left the letter in the letterbox for the Kings postman to deliver to the kings friend.

 

The Kings friend had some pressing matters he wanted to discuss with the king. But when he arrived at the office the next day he was disappointed to find that the king had left at such short notice and would not be back until he had finished the business in the north. In those days, telephones did not work very well so all he could do was to wait.

 

Two things had happened to the king's friend that alarmed him about his safety. On one occasion, he had gone to stand for justice and had been shouted down by the leaders in the kingdom. He had to leave the meeting. At another time, he had tried to stand for peace at home, but was again thrown out and forbidden to speak again to people on these subjects.

 

The Kings friend was disturbed by these happenings, but since they were private he was sure that they did not matter much. "Anyway" he thought "the king will be back soon and then I can explain everything to him". What he did not know is that the king would not be back for seven years!

 

One day a great sand storm came out of the southern desert and in a great whirlwind swept around the city knocking down everything in its path. The storm passed right through the Kings friends garden and destroyed it completely. As he sat wondering what he could do the Kings workers came quickly to the rescue and helped him restore some of the garden. But soon afterwards the Gardener died and all that was left was the memory of the beautiful garden.

 

When these things began to happen people asked themselves is this not the King's friend. How can the King let him suffer like this? A short time latter his uncle and grandmother died. Then his only brother and his wife divorced and went to live in separate places. The Kings friend was very, very sad. He wished the King was there. He was sure that they could find a solution to all these problems. By this time the people had stopped talking about the kings friend and decided that the kings friend was cursed. He could not walk past people without them whispering on soft tones "That is the kings friend"

 

The people began to loose respect for the Kings friend and decided that the king could not ignore a friend of his for such a long time. The people decided that this could not possibly be the kings friend. One day they came and stole everything he had in the house and left him with nothing. This did not help matters much, because now only his wife and family believed be was the kings friend. Nobody would help him. They just looked and stared and whispered amongst themselves.

 

Finally, the kings friend fell sick. The people said that it was because of all his troubles. The people said that if he was really the kings friend, surely he could get some medicine from the king to cure his sickness. That is when the letter arrived.

 

The letter had fallen from the kings desk and slipped under the carpet. It was found when the Kings staff were bringing in new furniture because they had received word that the king was about to return.

 

The kings friend had cried all his tears and had wondered many times if indeed he was the kings friend. So he did not wish to read the letter which he thought would just upset him more. His wife came in, took the letter and said to everyone, "look it is from the king". When she opened the letter she gasped and said "oh dear, this letter was written seven years ago". This is what the letter said…

 

Dear friend,

 

An urgent report has reached me of trouble in the North. I must go immediately. I shall return soon. I cannot ask you to do anything for me, but at least you can be here until I return. I hear that up in the north the people are being treated unjustly and many homes are breaking because of fighting. I hear that storms have damaged the land and many people are suffering. Faithful workers are being killed and no one is tending the land anymore. I have many workers, but many only work because they are being paid. Thieves have taken over some cities and taken peoples things. Many people are willing to work for me, when things go well for them, but when things go wrong they forget that I am King. I think that is what I have gone to deal with in the north. I wanted to discuss this with you before I left, but had no time. My absence will give you some time to think about how I should treat all my friends. I am fully aware that my absence can make the people look at you quite differently. Many owe me money, but all you owe me is trust.

 

Please remain my friend until I return

 

The King.

 

 

Allan Bukusi 2007

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