Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a wise and kind-hearted king. One sunny morning, the king decided to stroll through his kingdom and talk to his subjects. As he walked down the streets, he noticed a poor person sitting quietly by the road.
"Greetings, good person!" greeted the king with a warm smile. "Tell me, what can I do to bring happiness to your life?" The poor person looked up and said, "Your Majesty, if it pleases you, I would like wheat on a chessboard. But I need only one wheat on the first square, then double that amount on each subsequent square." The king was intrigued by this request and saw it as an opportunity to teach an important lesson.
The king summoned his royal mathematician and commanded him to fulfill the poor person's wish. The mathematician worked tirelessly, placing a single wheat grain on the first square, two grains on the second, and continued doubling the amount for each subsequent square. But as the squares went by, the number of grains grew bigger and bigger!
Eventually, the impossible task became clear to everyone. The king turned to the poor person and said, "I see now that the wheat grains on a chessboard would be more than all the grains in the entire kingdom. Your request has taught me the importance of truly listening and understanding the weight of each word spoken." The poor person nodded, grateful to have made the king realize this valuable lesson.
From that day forward, the king became known for his exceptional listening skills. He understood that sometimes, the simplest requests carried the greatest meaning. The poor person's wish for wheat on a chessboard reminded the king to listen attentively and consider the true implications of every word.
And so, dear children, let this story remind you of the power of a listening ear. Like the wise king, pay attention to what others say, for even in the smallest requests lie valuable lessons. The End.
Reflection Questions