There was once a king who was so cruel and unjust that
his subjects yearned for his death or dethronement. However, one day he
surprised them all by announcing that he had decided to turn over a new leaf.
“No more cruelty, no more injustice,” he promised, and
he was as good as his word. He became known as the ‘Gentle Monarch’. Months
after his transformation one of his ministers mustered the courage to ask him
what had brought about his change of heart.
And the king answered, “As I was galloping through my
forests I caught sight of a fox being chased by a hound. The fox escaped into
his hole but not before the hound had bitten into its leg and made it lame for
life. Later I rode into a village and saw the same hound there. It was barking
at a man. Even as I watched, the man picked up a huge stone and flung it at the
dog, breaking its leg. The man had not gone far when he was kicked by a horse.
His knee was shattered and he fell to the ground, disabled for life. The horse
began to run but it fell into a hole and broke its leg. Reflecting on all that
had happened, I thought: ‘Evil begets evil. If I continue in my evil ways, I
will surely be overtaken by evil’. So I decided to change”.
The minister went away convinced that the time was ripe to overthrow
the king and seize the throne. Immersed in thought, he did not see
the steps in front of him and fell, breaking his neck
~ Author Unknown
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“My favourite parable for living a positive and influential life is the Golden
Rule: Do unto others what you would have them do unto you”.
~ Tony Oller
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