Once there was a rich king who enjoyed strength and intelligence, but what attracted attention most was his extreme arrogance. Due to his great pride, he thought there was no worthy competitor to share his favorite hobby, which was chess. Therefore, this king sent a message across the land announcing that he would give a tenth of his wealth to anyone who proved worthy of playing against him, and in return, if the king considered that person unworthy of trust, he would cut off his head!
Many risked their lives to challenge the proud king himself—from the rich and poor, the foolish and intelligent—but the king always found them unworthy of trust. They weren’t good players and couldn’t match him in the game. So, over time, every reckless competitor was eliminated one after another, and the king felt satisfied because there was no person in all the land capable of playing against him and winning against him.
Years later, a poor beggar came to the palace and intended to play against the king. People tried to dissuade the beggar, trying to save him from certain death, but the matter wasn’t good. The king came, and when he saw the appearance of the wandering beggar, he didn’t believe he had lost his mind and thought it possible that he could be a worthy competitor. So the king said to him in anger while summoning the executioner: “What makes you think you’re worthy of playing against a person like me, you beggar slave?”
The poor beggar answered: “Will you be able to do that and win against me?” The king was shocked by the beggar’s answer, as he didn’t expect anything of this sort. But the more he thought about it, the more the man’s words gained importance in his mind. The king thought the beggar might be right and might show himself to be the better man due to his ability to forgive, and if the beggar wasn’t executed, he would survive with his life and reputation as a worthy opponent.
Without moving a single piece, the king realized he had lost the match and said to the beggar: “How were you able to strike me without even playing? Everyone will see me as disrespectful and arrogant.” The beggar said: You’re wrong, Your Majesty. Everyone actually realizes you’re not worthy of respect; it’s not the people who don’t deserve it, but their actions. Your actions over the years have shown how you have become shameful and unjust because of your judging the value of others on a whim.
Here the king realized how unscrupulous he had become and became remorseful for his crimes and arrogance. Then he looked into the beggar’s eyes and saw in them wisdom and dignity for the first time in his life. Without saying a single word, the beggar surrendered his crown, exchanged clothes with him, and made him the new king. Then he wore the beggar’s rags, his eyes filled with tears. His last order as king was to be imprisoned forever in the depths of his cell as atonement for all his crimes.
Nevertheless, the new king was wise and just, to the extent that after only a few years, he appointed the old king in his place when he was certain that his sincere repentance had become the best companion to his great intelligence. Indeed, under his hand came the best laws ever for that kingdom, which had suffered greatly from injustice and arrogance at the hands of the same king, who learned the lesson well from the wise beggar.
Story translated from: The Unworthy King