In a distant era there lived a king named King Ralph. King Ralph had three sons. The first was named Sam, the second was named John, and the third was named Eric. The king lay on his deathbed, very weary. The king wished to leave the rule to one of his sons, but to do so he had to test them to see which of them was most worthy of the kingship.

The king asked his sons to go to the court the next day. The king felt that his time in this world was not long, and therefore he wanted to be reassured before departing from life. The king asked each of his sons to fill a room with whatever he loved, the most important thing being that the room should be completely filled with that thing. The king did not specify anything particular but left the choice to his sons, and told them that whoever filled his room completely would be the king after him.

The first son, Sam, brought many diamonds, but he was able to fill only half the room. The second son, John, decided to bring cotton to fill the room, but the cotton too was not enough to fill the room. As for the third son, Eric, he placed a lamp in the very middle of the room, and thus this lamp was able to fill the room with light.

The king was pleased with what Eric had done and decided that he would be the next king. The two brothers felt ashamed of themselves because their younger brother had, through his wisdom and intelligence, won the challenge and become the new king. When the king died, Eric assumed the rule and appointed his brothers, Sam to oversee the state treasury, and John to supervise the state crops.

Lessons from the story:

  1. Young age does not mean you lack wisdom or intelligence.
  2. Our choices in life are what determine who we are and where we will go.
  3. Wisdom, intelligence, and sound thinking are always the secret behind individuals’ excellence and progress.
  4. Your ideas must always be outside the box, and you must not think in a conventional way.
  5. Always draw upon the experiences of those around you and exploit them for your benefit.

Translated from the story: The 3 sons of the king