A king had three sons (they always do). When they began growing up he looked out of the window and saw his peaceful homeland and the mountains sorrounding it. Everything around him was serene, but the king was the one who made that serenity. He came from a place where they knew war, and thus he did all he could to avoid it, to make it un-happen. His wife died not long ago, and he still felt the pain of her departure. He wouldn't marry again.
One of his children will have to become king, and the king should have what it takes to become a leader. So they had to be taught somewhere else.
He announced throughout the world that he was searching for tutors for his children. One morning three fairies appeared before the pallace.
"Give your first son to me" Said the bright-eyed fairy, and curtsied. "I am the fairy of clouds, and will take him to the sky and teach him beauty."
"Give your other son to me," Said the dark-eyed dark-haired fairy, and curtsied, "I am the fairy of the cities and countryside. I will teach him science and how to be kind to people."
"I come from the desert." Said the last fairy. She was horrible to watch, and her clothes were all ragged and tattered. She looked the king straight in the face, "I am the desert fairy. Give your youngest son to me, and I will bring you back a king."
The king gave his three sons to the fairies.
"Five years from now," he said, "You shall all come back to me, and I'll see who of my three sons is worth being a king."
Five years pass swiftly in legends and parables. The life people lead, the risks they take and the death they see, do not count. There's only one thing a story-teller cares about: The point he wants to make.
After five years the fairies came back. First came the Fairy of clouds, and the king's first son with her. He was carried in a pavilion on an elephant. He was very fat, and he kept complaining on the heat. He was very glad to see his father, and he gave him a book of verse he wrote. He looked around him confused and when the time came to be seperated from his Fairy he began crying and said he was not willing to stay.
"Goodbye, my son." Said the king. He gave the fairy half her fee, since she did produce something of his son - but that was not what he wanted.
They went back to the sky.
Later came the king's second son with the fairy of countryside and cities. He was busy with a small telescope, and didn't notice that he did not harness his horse properly. He nearly ignored his father, gave him a wan smile, and said that he was now trying to figure out the exact course of Mars's rotation.
"People like him," said the Fairy, "in their own special way.."
There was a lot more that the fairy could teach him, and he didn't really want to be king, and so he gave his father a quick kiss, waved him goodby, said he would write (If his mind won't be busy doing other things), and left.
The Fairy got half her fee - since she did make something out of this son, and people did like him in their own special way - but that was not the way people liked a king.
Three hours later came the Fairy of the desert. Beside her was a man in rags, whose hair was half-white, but whose eyes were fierce.
"Where is my son?" Asked the king angrily, "Who is this man?"
"Hello father" said the fierce-eyed man.
The king's youngest son turned to the Fairy of the desert. They eyed each other a long time, and then began smiling a small, bitter smile. They shared this smile for a few seconds before the King's youngest son did something rather strange.
He spat on the ground. "This," he said to the Fairy of the desert, "This is how I thank you for what you did to me these last five years."
The king turned red. "What is this? Explain this to me! What have you done to my son?"
"This man," said the Desert-fairy, "This man which is your son has seen things that taught him how people act, who they can be influenced, and how they can be made to suffer. He saw and shared more pain then you ever did. He fought elements of nature more furious then you ever knew. Had he not been strong enough to be a king, I would have brought you here a corpse," she smiled cruelly, "and still I would have demanded my full payment."
"Leave this place!" Shouted the king, "And if you ever come back there will be executioners waiting for you!"
"Father," said the man calmly, "You'll give her her full payment now."
The king stood speechless.
"Father," said the man again, "I spoke clearly. Pay her. Now."
The king waved and a sack of gold was brought before them. the Fairy put it on her back.
"I brought you a king." She said. "Goodby." she turned to the King's youngest son, "You have been an apt pupil"
"I hate you." said the man.
She left.
The king and his son didn't get much time to have an intimate talk. The next four months this new fierce man was busy keeping the affairs of state. He seemed to grasp things quickly. He raised the taxes, and when the people began complaining he just showed himself. They were afraid. Later on they learned that he used the money to develop education and agriculture. People learned that things could be better than they were at the present time. They also learned that they had to have an army. They had enemies who were preparing these last ten years to attack them secretly. Even the king himself did not know about that, and was shocked to find that some of his fellow-kings were really vicious and unfriendly. His experience taught him of the woes of war, but not of treachery so vast that it spreads upon years of hypocritical kindness.
Four months after the King's youngest son came home, The king felt that it was time to resign. He was old and he had someone he could trust.
The coronation ceremony was splendid. Only three representatives of three neighbor-countries were missing. These countries were razed to the ground in a sudden military attack led by the King's son.
It was that night that the departing king and the new king, his son, had time for their first serious talk.
"You have acted well. I am proud of you." Said the Father.
"I did what I had to do." said his son simply. there was no appreciation in his voice.
These last four months the king also noticed his son's remoteness. He was magnetic with the croud, but also aloof . At home only the aloofness remained.
The walked slowly to the son's chambers.
"You never told me anything about what happened in the desert, about those five years" Said the father, "You came back so different.."
"I came back better." Said the son. They went down a corridor, and the son unlocked the door of his room.
"I thought we could talk about it, today. What were your adventures.." smiled the father.
"I'd rather not." said the son. He did not look his father straight in the eye.
The father hesitated a moment.
"Soon you will marry." he said finally, "You'll have children of your own.."
There was an odd moment of silence, The father standing before the open door, the son standing inside his room, holding the door still half-open.
"Are.. are you happy, my son?" asked the father.
"Good night, father." Said the king and closed the door.
