A cure for the king

Once a king went to a sage and said, ` I am sick in the body and in the mind. I want to free myself of all my worries and anxiety, and how can I be really happy and content?’’

The sage replied, ``there is but one cure. Your majesty must sleep at night in the shirt of a happy man’’

The king thought it was a simple cure. Messengers were sent to very corner of the kingdom. They were asked to look for a man who was truly happy.

The messengers met thousands of people from different parts of the kingdom, different trades, and different walks of life. But everyone had some cause for being unhappy. Nobody seemed to be truly and completely happy.

At least they found a poor beggar who sat whistling by the roadside. They asked him, ``Are you really happy? Do you have no sorrow?’’

``yes, I am truly a happy man,’’ the beggar replied. ``I have no worries, no anxiety and no pain.’’

The messengers said, ``we have been looking for you. The king needs you. He must sleep at night in the shirt of a happy man. He will give you anything you desire if you give him your shirt for a night. Are you willing to part with your shirt so that the king could wear?’’

The beggar laughed, ``I am sorry; I can not fulfill the king’s desire. I do not have a shirt on my back!’’ he laughed some more and went away whistling.

*This story conveys the message that material wealth can not make a person happy. Think and discuss a few things which you can do to make this world a happy and a better place to live in.

*``I saw a little child today, who smiled at me. This made happy.’’ Think three things or incidents that made you happy today.

*Make a list of things which children of your age most desire.

*``Not he who has little, but he who wishes more is poor.’’ Think some examples to prove this.