Little Prince No-Father: The Power of Truth
The King of Benares once went for a picnic in the woods. He was overjoyed by the stunning fruits, trees, and flowers. He slowly moved deeper and deeper into the forest as he took in their beauty. He soon realised he was alone after becoming separated from his friends.
Then he picked up a young woman’s charming voice. She was gathering firewood while singing. The king followed the sound of the charming voice to avoid being afraid of being by himself in the forest. He eventually found the singer of the songs, who he immediately fell in love with because she was a stunning, fair young woman. They grew close, and the king eventually adopted the firewood woman’s child as his own.
Later, he revealed how he had become disoriented in the woods and persuaded her that he was, in fact, Benares’ King. She provided him with directions so he could return to his palace. The king said to her as he gave her his priceless signet ring, “Sell this ring if you have a girl child and use the proceeds to raise her well. Bring our child to me along with this ring so I can recognise him if he turns out to be a boy.” After saying this, he left for Benares.
The firewood woman eventually gave birth to an adorable baby boy. She saved the king’s signet ring because she was a simple, timid woman who was hesitant to take him to the opulent court in Benares.
The infant developed into a little boy after a few years. The other kids in the village teased him, mistreated him, and even started fights with him when he played with them. The other kids picked on him because his mother wasn’t already married. He was yelled at, “No-father! No-father! You ought to be called No-father!”
Of course, this caused the young boy to feel guilty, hurt, and depressed. He frequently ran sobbing home to his mother. He revealed to her one day what the other kids called him “No-father! No-father! You ought to be called No-father!” His mother then continued, “My son, don’t feel embarrassed. You’re not just a regular little boy, you know. The Benares King is your father.”
The young boy was astonished to the core. Does your mother have any proof of this, he enquired? She then informed him that his father had given her a signet ring, and if the child was a boy, she was to take him and the ring to Benares as proof. “Then let’s go,” the young boy said. She consented due to what had occurred, and the following day they left for Benares.
The gatekeeper informed the king that the firewood woman and her young son wanted to see him when they got to the king’s palace. They entered the royal assembly room, where the king’s ministers and advisors were seated. The queen brought back memories of their time spent together in the forest. She concluded by saying, “Your majesty, this is your son.”
In front of all the ladies and gentlemen of his court, the king felt humiliated. He therefore asserted, “He is not my son,” despite knowing that the woman had spoken the truth. The lovely young mother then displayed the signet ring as evidence.
The king again denied the truth out of embarrassment, saying, “It is not my ring!”
The poor woman realised that she lacked a witness and solid proof to back up her claims. I only have faith in the validity of the truth. She addressed the king by saying, “May this little boy, if he is really your son, stay in the air without falling. May he die on the ground if he is not your son!
The boy was suddenly grabbed by his foot and thrown into the air by the woman. The boy was sitting cross-legged, suspended in the air, and he wasn’t falling. Everyone was shocked, to put it mildly. The young child addressed the powerful king while still in the air. “I was indeed born your son, my lord. Numerous people you look after are not related to you. You even care for a large number of horses, elephants, and other animals. But you don’t consider taking care of and raising me, your own son. Please look after my mother and I.”
The king’s pride was damaged upon hearing this. The power of the young boy’s words humbled him because they were true. Come to me, my son, and I will take good care of you, he said while holding out his arms.
All the other people in the court extended their arms in amazement at such a marvel. They also requested the arrival of the floating youngster. But he landed in his father’s arms without stopping in midair. The king announced that his son would be the crown prince and his mother would be the first queen while his son was perched on his lap.
The king and his entire court thus came to understand the importance of truth. The city of Benares gained a reputation for fair justice. Soon the king passed away. The mature crown prince wished to demonstrate to the populace that everyone is deserving of respect, regardless of place of birth. Therefore, he had himself crowned as “King No-father” in official documents. He continued to rule the kingdom in a kind and just manner.
The moral is: The truth is always stronger than a lie.
