The King's Contest
The three had heard the royal decree of the great king of Parthia- he was a lion without an heir, long since a widower, very old and unable to produce a son, and about to pass away. Sensing the nearness of his impending doom, the lion set out for a contest not of physical power but of wisdom. He had scoured the Royal Court for the wisest scholars he could find, subjecting all members of his court to rigorous testing in every field. From his court, the lion found three and only three students wise enough to pass these difficult tests and lead his kingdom- Fox, Wolf, and Jackal. But no kingdom can be ruled by more than one king so the lion devised a contest to see which of three students would wear the crown and golden chains of kinghood.
The contest's rules would be rather simple, even though winning the contest would not be. The three canid students would give a public speech at a banquet held in the dying king's honor on the subject of what was the most powerful thing in the world. The one who had the most valid and true argument would inherit the crown and be given full command of the royal treasury. And so after weeks of laborious study at the library, the three scholars were ready to give their speech at the banquet hall in front of the king and all of his loyal subjects. The banquet was filled with delicious food which would have appealed to the palate of every species, only the sweetest of wine, and the music of the orchestra, which only those of the highest birth would ever hear. And the king first summoned Jackal to give his speech, which goes as follows.
"Men of Parthia. Today, the three of us are being asked a very important question. What is the most powerful thing in the world? The answer is on the very table we're eating." The attendees looked around confused at what Jackal had stated. "Do you not see it? You've been drinking this whole time. Yes, my friends, Wine is the most powerful thing in the universe. When we drink wine, we become relaxed and happy and all the worries of this world melt away like ice under the blazing sun. If we drink even more wine, we find ourselves unable to walk in a straight line or think rationally. Whatever we say when under the influence, reflects exactly how we feel. And if we drink even more than that, we lose memory of things as basic as our names, our species and what we were doing beforehand. And we forget our mortality. Wine is a very joyful thing in the hands who are moderate but a dangerous thing in the paws of those who do not." There was great applause for this speech because the attendees knew what jackal was saying was correct- as councilors and advisors to the king, every member in the audience had gotten at least slightly inebriated in the past. Everyone applauded except for the king whose muzzle hardly shook at this speech, as a sign of his impartiality for this contest.
Next it was Fox's turn and he was nervous to impress the Parthian court and the king, for he realized what was at stake- a kingdom which is something that he, born an orphan would have never in his wildest dreams imagined. Fox nervously stood at the podium addressing the lion and his court.
"Wine might be powerful but there is something far greater than that at this banquet. Think of the one who sent you here, whose conquests purchased this rich food and sweet wine. He is the king and he is the most powerful one in the world. When he makes a declaration, all of us great or small rush to his aid and defend him or add to his territories. And this is true throughout the world, the rulers of this world send people to defend and conquer lands and they hold the keys to life and death in their paws. Those who conspire against or insult the king find themselves locked in prison or worse. It is my sincerest hope that none of you ever know what it is like to be thrown in prison or executed for a crime against the king. He is quick to forgive and for that we should be thankful. Respect him and he will respect you!" This speech inspired great fear amongst the court, and many of the king's advisors worried about whether something they had said or done might have caused the king undue stress. The king himself was still not entertained by this speech and he asked for the last of the three scholars, Wolf to give his speech so the lion might conclude the game. Showing no signs of hesitation, the wolf began reading the speech he had spent many hours rehearsing in private.
"Wine is powerful, the words of the king have merit, but the most powerful thing in the world is absent from this festivity. Only the males of the kingdom were invited to this celebration and we left behind the one half of our society integral to our growth- the females. Females are the most powerful thing in the world because everyone seated here today was born of a mother. Our mothers suffered long and hard giving birth to us, and we owe our wisdom and strength to their labor. A woman gave birth to the one who presses the grapes to make the wine and the king himself was born of a woman. And it is by another female that we will be remembered as they will give birth to our legacy, that is our sons and daughters. I have seen in my years, young men marry their new brides whose beauty captivated them to the point of them abandoning the welfare of their parents. And I have also seen how a young man lost his newlywed wife to disease and could not be consoled. That is why women are most powerful." All three of these stirring speeches had an impact on the king and the courtiers who had gathered and he thought long and hard over which was the greatest of these speeches. But eventually the wizened lion, his mane mottled with gray fur, reached his conclusion.
"Wine. Kings. Women. All very powerful in their own right and all defended rightly by three very intelligent scholars. Yet there can only be one winner of this debate and for that I think Wolf is the one. I know how powerful a woman can be firsthand. I lost my wife 20 years ago and it changed me severely. No drunkenness could bring her back and even my decrees could not send her soul back from the world of the dead. I thought of remarrying but could not find a woman as suitable as my departed queen. Until I found Truth." The wolf was overjoyed to hear that he would be the crown prince for the king and inherit the Parthian crown when the lion passed away. But what was this "Truth" he was referring to anyway. He let the lion continue his speech.
"Truth is superior to all three things mentioned because wine, kings, and women will pass away. They are mortal. Yet Truth, and the pursuit of her by the wise men, will never pass away. She is beloved by all and those who seek her out will handle any problem with ease. When I realized that I would never re-marry another woman, Truth became my bride so to speak. It is a paradox to have found her yet I am still looking for her more and more. Soon I will pass on but she will remain, beyond the reach of the stupid and the foolish but willing to aid the ones who honestly search for her." Then the lion spoke directly to the three students. He took off his purple robe and gave it to Wolf.
"Pursue Truth as you rule over this kingdom, Wolf. And Jackal and Fox," he said giving his signet ring to them "you two are also brilliant and will not walk away without a reward. I want you two to serve as Wolf's advisors- with the three of you in charge, Parthia will expand her borders, defeat her enemies, and be the envy of the world." That same night, the lion who was much respected and loved in his kingdom fell to disease but it was a time for celebration of his life and the crowning of new rulers who would fulfill the king's request. Parthia did grow and she did become the envy of the world- because her citizens, following the lead of her king and counselors, sought the Truth.