William became King when he was very young. Everyone around him flattered him so much that he began to believe all that they said. He thought he was very handsome, very kind, very generous, very brave.
When he went out on horseback, everyone would praise him for being the best rider, the best hunter, the best warrior. When he went in his carriage, he heard people saying he was magnificent; his clothes were gorgeous. In fact, he believed he was the most wonderful person on the earth!
One day, King William lost his way and arrived in a remote village. No one in that village had heard of the King. They were all ordinary people cut off from the rest of the kingdom by a dense forest. They lived a simple life, doing different activities—farming, building and making things, doing carpentry, pottery and a hundred little jobs.
For the first time in his life William found that no one came forward to bow to him, hold his horse or flatter him. He felt very strange. He got off his horse. Finding an old man walking along, he asked, “I need to water my horse. Can you help?”
The old man pointed to a large trough of water, and said “You can get water there, sir.” “And where can I get some food and a place to rest?” asked the King.
“You’ll have to ask the villagers, sir. Someone might be able to provide you with food and a bed to sleep in,” said the old man. William tethered his horse and started asking some of the villagers for some food and a bed to sleep in for the night. An old couple took him to their house and gave him some bread and a stew of vegetables and a little meat. They told him to sleep on a bench outside the house.
As William slept under the stars, he thought of all the flattery he received. He did not deserve any of it. “I am not a grand person, after all! I must look after my people first. Only then will I be a true King,” he thought.
The next day, he thanked all the villagers and found his way back to his palace. When he reached there, people found that he had changed completely. He stopped people from flattering him and governed his kingdom wisely. Now he was truly King William!
