The Young King short story Learn English through story level 3

[Music]

the young king

the young king was alone in his

beautiful room in the palace

he was only 16 years old and he was

wild-eyed like an animal of the forest

the old king’s servants found him in the

forest

at that time the boy believed that he

was the son of a poor forester

he was brought up by the forester but

now he knew

that he was the child of the old king’s

daughter

the king’s daughter married an ordinary

man a painter

he painted pictures on the walls of the

great church where kings were crowned

but one day he disappeared leaving the

pictures unfinished

the week old baby was taken away from

his mother’s side while she slept

the forester and his wife had no

children and the baby

was given to them the princess

died when the old king was dying

he said my heart is heavy

because i have done a terrible thing the

crown must not

pass away from my family bring my

daughter’s child from the forest

he will be king after me

when the boy was brought to the palace

he showed a strange love for beautiful

things

he gave a happy cry when he saw his fine

new clothes and rich jewels

he quickly took off the old coat that he

wore in the forest

he walked through the palace from room

to room looking at everything

a rich man came to see the young king

one day

he found him on his knees in front of a

beautiful picture from venice

on another day people searched for the

king for hours

they finally found him in a little room

at the north end of the palace

he was looking at the shape of the greek

god adonis

cut in a jewel in bed that night

the young king thought about the

beautiful clothes for his special day

a gold coat and a jeweled crown

people were working day and night to

finish the clothes in time

the young king imagined himself in the

great church

dressed as a king his eyes closed

and he fell asleep as he slept

he dreamed he dreamed that he was

standing in a long

low room around him were cloth makers at

work

only a little daylight came in through

narrow windows

the men’s faces were pale and thin

little children were working with them

they were weak and hungry

and their little hands shook

the young king went to watch one of the

cloth makers

the man looked at him angrily

why are you watching me he said

did our employer ask you to watch us

who is your employer ask the young king

he is a man like me but

unlike me he wears fine clothes

and while i am hungry he has too much

food

you are not a slave said the young king

your employer does not own you

the rich make the poor their slaves

answer the cloth maker

we must work to live but they pay us too

little

and we die men call us free

but we are slaves but these things do

not matter to you

you are not one of us your face is

too happy

he turned away and continued his work

then the young king saw that the cloth

maker was making

gold cloth he felt a sudden fear

who you making that cloth for he asked

i am making it for the crowning of the

young king

the young king woke up with a loud cry

he was in his own room in the palace

through the window he saw the golden

moon

hanging in the sky

the young king fell asleep again and

dreamed

he dreamed that he was on a ship

hundreds of slaves were working on the

ship

they were wearing only simple cloths

round their waists

and each man was tied to the man next to

him

the hot sun shone down on them without

pity

a man ran up and down between the slaves

he hit them until the blood came work

faster

he ordered at last the ship stopped near

some land

the seamen took one of the youngest

slaves tied a stone to his feet

and let him down over the side of the

ship

after some time they pulled him out of

the water

he had a pearl in his right hand

the seamen took it from him then pushed

him back into the water

the young slave came up again and again

each time he brought with him a

beautiful pearl

the seamen put the pearls in a green bag

then the slave came up for the last time

this time he brought the best pearl of

all

it was shaped like the full moon and it

was brighter than the morning star

but the face of the slave was strangely

white

he fell down on the ship and blood came

from his ears and mouth

dead cried one of the seamen

throw the body into the sea

he looked at the pearl this will be for

the croning of the young

king when the young king heard this

he woke up with a great cry

through the window the stars were

growing weak and daylight was coming

the young king fell asleep again and

dreamed

he was walking through a dark forest

full of strange fruit and flowers

he continued walking until he came out

of the forest

there he saw a great crowd of men

working in a dry river

they were making large holes in the

ground and breaking the rocks with tools

the young king turned and saw an old man

standing behind him

with a mirror in his hand

who are these men he asked

the people in the walled cities have no

food

and little water said the old man

but these men are working in the river

to find

what are they trying to find jewels

for a king’s crown said the old man

for which king look in the mirror

and you will see him

the young king looked in the mirror and

saw his own

face he woke up with a great cry

bright sunlight was shining into the

room and in the garden outside birds

were singing in the trees

government officers came into the young

king’s room and greeted him

servants brought the coat made of gold

cloth

other servants placed the crown and fine

jewels in front of him

the young king looked at the lovely

things

they were very beautiful but he

remembered his dreams

and said take them away

i will not wear them the government

officers were very surprised

some of them thought that he was joking

they laughed he spoke to them again

take these things away i will not wear

them

this cloth was made by the white hands

of pain

there is blood in the jewels and death

in the heart of the pearl

and he told them his three dreams

when the men heard this they said to him

you do not know what you are saying a

dream

is only a dream it is not real

we cannot worry about the people who

work for us

and if you do not wear these clothes and

this crown

you will not look like a king how will

the people know that you

are king perhaps you are right

answered the young king but i will not

wear this coat

and i will not wear this crown i did not

wear fine clothes

when i came into the palace i will go

out of the palace in the same way

go all of you only this boy may stay

the government officers and the servants

left

only one servant a boy stayed with the

king

the young king opened a big box and took

out a rough

coat this was his coat in the days when

he watched animals on the hillside for

the forester

the young king also took out a stick

from the forest

the boy said sir where is your crown

the young king cut a piece from a wild

rose that grew near the window

he made it into a circle and put it on

his head

this will be my crown he said

the young king left his room the

government

officers were waiting for him he got up

on his horse

and rode out through the great gates of

the palace towards the church

the boy ran with him

the people in the streets laughed

this is not the king they said as he

rode past them

he stopped and answered i

am the king and he told them his three

dreams

a man came out of the crowd and spoke

angrily to him

the life of the poor comes from the fine

things that rich people use

when we make these things we can buy

bread

go back to your palace and put on your

king’s clothes

why are you worrying about us

aren’t rich people and poor people

brothers

asked the young king his eyes

filled with tears as he rode through the

angry cries of the people

the boy became afraid and left him

at the great gate of the church the

soldiers tried to stop him

only the king can come in here they said

to him

i am the king he answered angrily

and he pushed through them the most

important priest in the church was

waiting to crown the new king

he saw the young king in his poor

clothes and he went to meet him

my son he said

is this how a king dresses what crown

shall i crown you with this should be a

day of

great happiness

can happiness wear what sadness and pain

have made

said the king and he told the high

priest his dreams

i am an old man answered the high priest

i know that many wrong things are done

in the world

but god has made us this way and he

is wiser than you the weight of this

world’s suffering

is too heavy for one man

can you say that in this house of god

said the young king he walked past the

high priest and went down on his knees

suddenly a loud noise came from the

street outside

the government officers came into the

church shouting

where is this dreamer of dreams where is

the king who is dressed as a servant

he cannot be our king

the young king stood up and turned sadly

towards them

then sunlight shone down through the

coloured glass of the church windows

it changed his coat into a coat that was

more beautiful than one of gold cloth

from the dead stick white flowers grew

that were more beautiful than pearls

the wild roses on his head shone

brighter than jewels

he stood there dressed as a king the

light of god filled the place

and there was music and singing the

people fell on their knees

the high priest laid his hands on the

young king’s head

someone has crowned you who is greater

than me

he said and he went down on his knees

in front of his king