The Clever King Story

This is an interesting story of a clever king willing to check the nature of his subjects on his own. He planned a test and watched what his subjects did. What was his plan? What did the subjects do? Who passed the test? Read this story to find out the plan and the result.

The Story of the Clever King

Once there lived a clever king. He was wealthy and witty. He was also curious and always thought of doing well for people. He sometimes ventured outside to see what the people were doing.

One day, he wanted to test his subjects and framed a plan. He planted a huge boulder right in the middle of a busy road in the capital’s market. He sat in a corner in disguise to see the people's reactions.

The King’s Plan to Test His Subjects

The People’s Reactions

The road was quite busy. People walked and bypassed the boulder even though it was difficult. Nobody paid attention or wanted to do something about it.

The king said, “This is interesting. People are aware of the problem but not doing anything.”

As time passed, a wealthy merchant approached the same spot on the road. He saw a huge boulder that obstructed his path. He yelled, “What is the king doing with our taxes? He is not taking care of anything.”

The king laughed at him silently from a distance. The merchant bypassed the boulder with his men.

Another well-off man arrived at the scene. He also made the same comment but did nothing about the situation.

The Act of a Good Person

The king was watching everything. He was amazed to see how the rich behaved seeing the boulder. When he was thinking of the test result, he saw a poor man with vegetables on his head arriving at the spot.

He spotted the boulder and saw people suffering for no reason. The boulder was causing trouble to all. He unloaded the vegetables and started pushing the heavy boulder. He pushed, sweating profusely, but nobody helped him.

He worked hard even though he was tired of carrying the vegetables. Eventually, he managed to push the boulder out of the road.

The Hidden Surprise

To his surprise, he found a purse underneath the boulder. He took the purse and opened it. He found a handful of gold coins with a note. The note said, “Whoever has removed this boulder, it is a gift.”

The Surprise Hiding Under the Boulder

He was astonished to realize that it was a test and he passed. He was surprised that nobody tried to do the same and missed the reward.

He went home, loading the vegetables on his head happily. His days of struggle were over! The king was happy that the reward went to someone deserving.

Moral of the Story

The Clever King Story moral is that an obstacle in life offers a chance to improve one’s condition. The obstacles make us stronger to thrive, and hard work always pays off. It also tells us that a humble person who thinks of others’ miseries is a great person.

The Clever King Story Summary

Download The Clever King Story PDF and read the stories to the kids with a pictorial illustration. It will help the kids to understand the story and its lesson. The kids will also relate to the story and engage better. They will also realize and imbibe the hidden message and become a better person.