One day, a proud and arrogant prince named Charlie was traipsing through the forest. As the prince traipsed along, he held his nose up in the air as if to say, “I don’t care about you because I’m better than you.” Presently the prince passed a worn out looking woman walking along the road. The prince, who of course cared nothing for this woman, was about to walk on by when the woman cried out, “deer prince I am in need of money. You see I borrowed a necklace of great price from a friend, but now I have lost it and I don’t have the money to pay her back. I could, of course, ask her to forgive me, but I would rather die before I did that. Do you know of anywhere that I might look for work?” “I don’t know where you can work, I don’t care about your troubles,” replied the prince. “Don’t you know that I, a prince, have better things to do than worry about your troubles?” Then the prince hastily passed by.
Pretty soon the prince encountered a fox standing along the road. Again the prince was about to pass by without a word, but the fox cried out, “dear prince I am hungry. You see I haven’t had anything to eat today. I had caught a rooster and was bringing it back to my den, but then I turned around and mockingly called out to my distancing followers, but as I did so the chicken fell out of my mouth and escaped. Now do you know where I might find another yard to steal chickens from?” I don’t know any yard with chickens in it, and I don’t care about your troubles,” replied the prince. “Don’t you know that I, a prince, have better things to do than worry about your troubles?” Then prince started off once again down the road.
A few minutes of walking brought the prince to a fork in the road. There, in the middle of the fork, stood an old farmer with a stunningly beautiful horse. The prince was curious as to how such a poor farmer could come by such a valuable steed, and since he was tired the prince stopped and asked the farmer where he had gotten his prized mount. The farmer replied, “I received this beautiful mount from the king himself. I gave the king the most beautiful apple from my orchard, and, though I asked for nothing in return, the king gave me this horse.” The prince sat and thought about how this man was different than the last two travelers he had met. While the other travelers had been prideful and were suffering because of it, this farmer had humbly and selflessly given the king his very best and had received a beautiful gift in return. “From now on I shall strive to be humble like this poor farmer instead of proud and arrogant like I have been,” thought the prince as he started off once again home; however, this time the prince was not so proud, and he kept his nose down while using his eyes to look for anyone that he, because of his lofty position, might help. James 1:9-10 says the brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.
The character of the farmer was taken from the story “the gift and the giver” by Russell G. Davis and Brent K. Ashabranner.
The character of the worn out woman was taken from the story “the Necklace” by Guy de Manupassant.
The character of the fox was taken from the story “Chanticleer and Pertelote” by Geoffrey Chaucer.
The character of the proud prince was taken from the story “Oliver Cromwell” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. [though in that story the prince, latter king, never changed]