Once upon a time, in ancient days, there was a great city ruled by a great king. But the people of that city would only grant kingship to any king for one year. After the king’s reign ended, the people of that great city would send the king to a very distant island. The purpose was for him to live there for the remainder of his life, until they could nominate another king of their choosing.
On one occasion, a certain king had assumed rulership of that great city. When his period of ruling the land ended, the people of the city’s reaction was very different from previous times. They would take the king’s clothes and not allow him to keep them.
But this time, they allowed that king to remain wearing the expensive royal clothes, and they toured the king throughout the entire city, chanting together in voices filled with sadness and sorrow for that great king: “Farewell, oh great king, farewell, oh great king.”
That moment was extremely harsh and difficult, not only for the king alone but for the people of the city and all its kings. The people of the city designated a large, wonderful ship to transport the king to the remote island where he would complete the rest of his life.
The ship transported the king and then returned on its way to the great city. During the ship’s journey, its passengers found another ship that had sunk some time ago, not far away. In that ship was a young man of tender age clinging to a piece of wood, floating above the water. They immediately rescued the young man and transported him with them to the great city. The people of the city asked that young man to become king over them for one year, but he refused. However, with the people’s insistence, he agreed with difficulty.
The young man learned all the decrees imposed on the king. After three days, the young man asked to see the island. When he went, he found it was like a forest, with strange, evil animal sounds, and he discovered the corpses of kings thrown on the ground everywhere. He returned to the city and gathered a hundred workers, making them clean the island of what was in it, and asked them to build a dock for ships, supervising them.
After they finished that, the island became a wonderful, beautiful place. The king began spending huge sums of money on the island instead of on clothes and city expenses. After the year ended, the king prepared to go to the island, optimistic and extremely happy, unlike the other kings. When asked about the reason, he answered that the other kings had been occupied with temporary pleasures - clothes and the city - and didn’t look to the future as he had done. He had made the city a paradise so he would live a happy life there.