A Camel's Lesson

A powerful and just king ruled a kingdom. His court was graced by a very intelligent minister, whose tales of wisdom and quick wit were renowned far and wide. Whenever the king saw a difficult problem solved by the minister's wisdom, he would be delighted and announce a reward.

One day, the minister, with his cleverness, resolved a complex dispute in the court. The king was very pleased and said to the full court,"Intelligent minister! You have once again demonstrated your remarkable wisdom. I will soon give you a special reward."

The minister bowed his head and thanked the king. But days passed, weeks passed, and there was no mention of the reward. The minister often considered going in person to remind him, but he didn't feel it was appropriate to demand his reward. He was confident that the king would keep his promise, but perhaps he had forgotten everything due to his busy schedule.

The minister felt a slight pain at this neglect, but he maintained his dignity.

One day, the king and his minister went for a walk outside the city. They were walking along the banks of the Yamuna River, admiring the beauty of nature and casually chatting with each other, when suddenly a camel passed by. Its long neck was slightly crooked and bent.

Seeing the camel, the king paused and said,"Minister, do you know why a camel's neck is so crooked? Why didn't God give it a straight neck?"

The minister smiled at this. He thought to himself, "This is the opportunity I've been waiting for. To remind the king of his promise without even asking."

The minister politely said,"Your Majesty, there's a mysterious reason behind this. It's said that a camel once made a big promise to someone, but when the time came, it forgot to keep its promise. God was deeply offended by this. He then twisted the camel's neck so that it would remember for the rest of its life how important it is to make a promise and keep it."

The king remained silent for a few moments after hearing this. The minister's words touched his heart. He suddenly remembered that a few days ago, he had promised this same minister a reward, but hadn't kept it until now.

The king's face fell in shame. He understood that the minister had said this not for anyone else, but for himself.

The king immediately said,"Minister, let's go to the palace now."

The two returned immediately. Upon reaching the palace, the king summoned the treasurer and arranged for a reward for the minister, even greater than the promised reward.  Then he himself spoke to the minister,"Friend, you reminded me of my promise without saying a word. This is your true wisdom. Forgive me for forgetting my word."

The minister folded his hands and said,"Your Majesty, this acceptance is the greatest honor for me."

Thus, the wise minister neither complained to anyone nor directly demanded his reward, but with his wisdom, he himself reminded the king of his promise.

💐Moral : - A person who acts with wisdom, dignity, and patience obtains his rights without even asking. Keeping his word is a man's greatest duty.

Read more : -  Divine Silence