HOW THE FORESTER BECAME KING

Once upon a time there lived a prince who was always reading some learned book or talking with some learned man so that everyone said that he must be the most learned prince in the world.
But when he became King it appeared that his great learning had made him mad, for at his first audience he gave this strange order:"Let all my high officers, my minister state and my chieftains, prove their worth each in his turn,by answering me four qeustions. He who answers aright shall become king for a day and thereafter be confirmed in his office. But he who fails to answer the questions shall be beheaded forthwith".

Now the ministers of state and the chieftains, as they came before the king in turn, failed to answer the questions and were beheaded until at last only the Chief of the Black River Country was left. As his time drew near, he set his affairs in order and tool leave of his wife and his children with great sorrow.
"The questions", he said "are too hard for me, nor have i found anyone wise enough to answer and may the King have mercy on you all".

Now it happened that one of the chieftains forester had come in that day from a long walk off, and when he heard the sounds of mourning and was told what it was about he asked what the questions were. "They are questions ,said the chief messenger,"which only the king himself could answer.Where is the centre of this earth? How many stars are there in the sky? How deep is the sea? What am i thinking at this moment?"
"yes", said the forester as he walked sadly away,"even if a wise man could answer the first three questions,how could anyone be sure of answering the last?"

But the same night the forester came near the chieftain and begged leave to speak to him secretly, and when leave was granted, he said,"Most noble master, I am least of your servants, but it may be that i could help you in this matter.Men say that I am like my lord and if that be so and I could be dressed in my lords garments, I would go before the king and try to answer his questions.
I can but fail and if so I would gladly give my life to save my lord".

Now at first the chieftains was loth to agree."It it certain death for you," he said. "Nay," said the forester ,"I have lived among the wild beasts of the forest and I have learned their cunning.It may be that I shall think of answers which will amuse the King and make him merciful".


So the Forester was dressed in the chieftains garment and went to the royal palace on the due day. He took with him a tall staff four strands of rope and a leopards skin. And he bowed before the King and asked leave to speak and the King said:"leave is given".
Then said the forester ,"I will try to answer the questions in their order. First I plant this staff here in the ground.I tie to it these four strands of rope. One I stretch to the east one to the west, one to the north and one to the south. My lord, the king will find if these strands are each stretched to the ends of the earth,that the centre of the earth is at this very spot".
And on that the King could not gainsay him."Next,I take this leopards skin i count the stars in the sky and the hairs in the skin.
I find that the stars are a thousand and one more in number than the hairs."
Neither in that the King could gainsay him."Now I go to the seashore and walk into the sea. First the water reaches my knees, then my waist, then my head. After then it gets deeper and deeper until even the top of ADAMS PEAK could not show above it."
The King smiled."You have answered three questions very cleverly," he said ,"So that I cannot gainsay you. It only remains for you to answer the fourth question."What am I thinking at this moment ?"
"Your Majesty is thinking," repleid the forester, that I am the Chieftain of the Black River Country. But your majesty is mistaken. I AM ONLY HIS FORESTER".

At that the King cried :"THIS FELLOW HAS ANSWERED ALL THE FOUR QUESTIONS WELL. HE PLEASES ME GREATLY.HE HAS SAVED HIS MASTERS LIFE. Now let him enjoy the reward of his cleverness." So the forester was clothed in the royal robes and decked with the royal jewels and the strip og gold was bound on his forehead the golden sword was placed in his hand and golden shoes were put on his feet.
And he was set upon the royal couch with the cap of state on his head. And muskets were fired and the royal pipers and tomtom beaters made music and proclaimed that all men should obey the forester as their King for a day.


Now when all these things have been done the king clapped his hands and said :"HAS NOT OUR FORESTER A KINGLY LOOK AND IS HE NOT WORTHY TO RULE OVER US THIS DAY?" AND as he spoke he laughed aloud but the forester called out:"Who is this shameless fellow who speaks so freely of his sovereigh to his face? TAKE HIM AND HAND HIM OVER TO THE EXECUTIONER TO BEHEADE.IT is an order."
"Not this ," the king protested and as the guards went to bind hin he struggled to be free. But the forester cried:" I AM THE KING THIS DAY AND I MUST BE OBEYED.LET HIM BE BEHEADED EVEN AS HE CAUSED THE OTHERS TO BE BEHEADED."


And it was so, and the forester became King and ruled with justice for many years and he made the Chieftains if the Black River Country his first minister of state.


THE END