once upon a time there was a king who had three sons , who were all so clever and brave that he began to be afraid that they would want to reign over the kingdom before he was dead . now the king , though he felt that he was growing old , did not at all wish to give up the government of his kingdom while he could still manage it very well , so he thought the best way to live in peace would be to divert the minds of his sons by promises which he could always get out of when the time came for keeping them .
they were all so clever and brave .
why was the king afraid that his sons would want to reign over the kingdom before he was dead ?
why was the king afraid that his sons would want to reign over the kingdom before he was dead ?