The Young King

When the young king is taken from the obscurity of his forest home to the palace, he is, at first, happy to wear the beautiful clothes that have been made for him. But after he dreams of the poor people struggling to make the clothes and even dying to get the jewels that are needed for them, he doesn’t want them anymore. The people, however, do not want a king who does not look like a king. On the day of his coronation, the young king puts on his old clothes, takes up his old stick and puts on a crown of wild roses. He is jeered by the crowd as he walks to the church. While he is talking to the priest, a group of angry government officials come into the church and insist that he cannot be king. At that moment a shaft of sunlight comes through the windows and transforms his appearance into one far more beautiful than anyone has ever seen. The priest declares he has been crowned by somebody greater than himself, and is therefore king.