From: sramalin@memstvx1.memst.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian.telugu
Subject: STORY (C.M) # 6
Date: 20 Dec 92 11:24:44 -0600
Organization: Memphis State University

                            THE UNHAPPY KING
                           ------------------
                                                Jonnalagadda Ramalakshmi

There was once a king who ruled a certain place. He had all the wealth one
would aspire for, a beautiful wife, a good minister, and everything one could
ever think of. But the king was always unhappy,no knows why. He always looked
unhappy and pathetic as if he had lost so much. Noticing this the minister gave
him several advices and tips for happiness. Despite this help, the king has
become more and more unhappy and looked miserable. At this juncture, there came
a sadhu to the nearby woods. It is told that this sadhu could cure the maladies
of people with ease, whether physical or psychological. So the minister led the
king to the sadhu and had him have a counsel.

After hearing the story of the king and his unhappiness, the sadhu said that
there is certainly cure for this and told the king " O king your cure is very
simple. Get out your horse of the stable and start visiting the country.
Wherever you find the most happy man, ask him to give you a RING of his FINGER
and wearing of that ring will return all the happiness you have lost !!!".

Now the king has started his journeys. In the first place he met an astrologer.
He asked the astrologer : " Pandit ! I think you are the most happy man in the
world, for you know the future and you can avoid what is bad and be happy
always." . But the Pandit replied : " Dear sir ! what you say is entirely
false. I may predict future but who can avoid the fate ? Sometimes I enjoy good
things but mostly I suffer from my poor finances" . Disappointed, the king
resumed his journey. Now he came to a place where one jester was giving a road
side performance. People assembled around the jester, were rolling with
laughter. The king waited until the performance was over and approached the
jester and asked him "My dear fella, I think I have seen the most happy man
today. How have you achieved this happiness ? " To this the jester removed the
mask he had been wearing and showed the king the marks of tears on his cheeks
and told him. " Everyone thinks I am always happy. But seeing my children
suffer from hunger,due to lack of money and food, I cry loud daily and cannot
feed them properly. And now you say that I am the most happy man !!!".

The king's state of unhappiness grew worse. But he did not stop going round to
find the most happy man to seek the finger ring. By and by he started thinking
that he could never get the coveted ring. One day as he was roaming,
unconsciously he came far off from the city and approached a forest. He felt
thirsty and looked for some water. No water was found around but he heard a man
chopping wood nearby.  He proceeded that way. There he found a medium aged
person chopping wood and asked him for water. With a great hospitality, the
woodcutter offered the king two loaves of bread and cold water from the earthen
pot from his hut nearby. There the king could find a dancing  peacock, a
chirping bird, and a dog curiously looking at him. The king was greatly
refreshed there.

Suddenly  the king recognised that it's a charming place and questioned the 
woodcutter." It seems you are very happy here ?". For this the woodcutter 
replied humbly " What you say is true sir. I will never leave this place in my 
life." The king is very happy , now that he found the happiest of all men. So
he told  the wood cutter about his episode of unhappiness and asked 
him(woodcutter) to spare him a finger ring. The woodcutter laughed aloud and
said " Dear sir! I can give you the ring most happily but the problem is 
that I DONOT HAVE ANY FINGER RING "

The king returned to his palace more worried and told the sadhu that he found
the most happy man but could not get the needed ring as that happy fellow
himself didnot have any ring. The monk explained presently :
" O king ! See the secret of happiness. Being  a woodcutter and poor he is
happy eventhough he doesnot have any ring on his finger. Why ? Because he has
in his mind no desires. A man's Happiness is within. It can be measured with
the number of unfulfilled desires he has. You are a king and anything you want
can be procured for you in a matter of minutes. Still you worry so much. Be
content with what God has given you and be happy ".

The king had recognised his felony and became happier as the time went by.
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