HEALTH IS WEALTH ~ A SHORT STORY

           Once upon a time, there was a king, who was very lazy. He did not like to do anything. He waited for his attendants to serve him every moment. He used to lie on his bed always. A time came when he really became inactive.

Only eating good food and it's sleeping made him fatty. So fat he became that he could not move around by himself. He felt sick, doctors were called in to treat him. Nothing could help him to become fit and fine. The king was a kind hearted and cordial person. All his subjects were sorry to learn about the fact that their king was not well.

One day the minister met a holy man (Sadhu) on the outskirts of the city. While conversing with each other, the “Sadhu”  came to know the fact that the king was unwell. He told the minister that he could cure the king. Hearing this the minister’s face brightened. He arranged immediately for a meeting of the “Sadhu” and the king.

The “Sadhu” saw the depressed king for a while and then spoke nothing serious had happened and that the king would be alright. From the next day the treatment would start. He asked the king to come to his hut which was at a distance from the palace.

The king had to come on foot to the hut. The king agreed, after so many years the king came outside to walk on the road. His ministers and attendants accompanied him. By the time he reached the Sadhu’s hut, he was breathless, sweating and uncomfortable.

The “Sadhu” came out of the hot noticing everything. He offered cool water to the king. The king felt better. The Sadhu brought out an iron ball, the size of a football and gave it to the attendants asking his majesty that daily morning and evening he had to roll that ball  in the palace grounds.

The king okayed to the “Sadhu” and left. After fifteen days when the “Sadhu” came to the palace to meet the king, he had lost a considerable amount of weight, was feeling much better and was active. All his sickness had disappeared. Inspite a lot of wealth, the king was not happy as he was unhealthy.

So the moral is “Health is Wealth”.

By

Sailabala Rath