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