In the valleys of Kashmir there once lived a king
called Lalitaditya. He was a brave chivalrous king who ruled his subjects well. His armies
were spread far and wide and his rule extended to the furthest reaches of the land. The kingdom flourished and the people
were very happy with their king. Lalitaditya was not only a noble and just king but also an intellect as well as a
fierce warrior. He did not discriminate against any religion and provided all conveniences
and facilities to his people. But despite his nobleness, Lalitaditya suffered from a major
flaw. He was an alcoholic. He was very fond of drinking and thoroughly enjoyed being
drunk.
One day he went on drinking
and got
very drunk. He was absolutely furious and started abusing everybody left right and
center. In a fit of rage he took his sword and cut all the curtains, pillows and sheets and then started to break all the vases and
glass all around. When his ministers tried to calm him down, he went totally berserk.
Looking out of his window at the city, he began screaming. He turned around and ordered
his ministers to burn the city at once. He wanted to see the city burn before his very
eyes.
Hearing the kings orders, the ministers were terrified. They started
running here and there. But the Chief Minister was an intelligent man and decided to deal
with the situation in a calm way. He knew the king was not in his senses. After all how
could a king who had built the city want it destroyed. This was only the ill effect of the
alcohol. But he also knew that the king had a terrible temper. If he didn’t see the
flames God knows what he would do. He wanted to do something so that the kings orders were obeyed and the city saved.
Around the palace in the
fields, the farmers had made mounds of dry grass. The Chief Minister ordered the soldiers
to go and burn the grass. When the king saw the flames
he calmed down and went to sleep. He was too drunk to know that it was grass that
was being burnt and not the city. Next day
when he woke up he remembered the events of the previous night. Fearfully he asked his
ministers whether the city had been burnt. On learning that his incorrect orders had not
been carried out the king was very relieved. He graciously rewarded his Chief Minister and
ordered his ministers that whenever he was under the influence of alcohol, his commands
should not be carried out. |
