Water is Precious
There was a large kingdom near a hill. A kind named Somapal ruled it. The whole kingdom and its subjects were gay and happy.
The king had a council of ministers. The main adviser to the king was a very intelligent man, Balraj. The king always took his advice on administrative matters.
One day when kind Sompal was attending the court, a question arose in his hind. He thought of putting up the question of his courtiers. He asked them, “Tell me, what is it which is most precious and invaluable on the earth?”
A courtier said, “My lord, I think gold is the most precious thing on the earth.”
The other courtier said, “Excuse me sir, I want to interrupt here. I feel that the most precious thing is diamond. Nothing is more precious.”
Some other courtiers said, “Money is more valuable than gold or diamond.”
The king was not satisfied. Just then a courtier said, “ the most valuable and precious thing on the earth is a good son.”
The king seemed to be unsure of the correctness of the answers given to him. He asked his adviser Balraj, “Whose answer do you find correct?”
Balraj said, “,My Lord! According to me, the most precious thing is something entirely different from their description. Of course, there are many things which are very precious and invaluable. But at certain occasions the same precious things may prove to be worthless. I strongly believe that water is the most precious thing on the earth.”
The king became angry. He said, “How foolish? The diamond is the most precious thing. Almighty god has given us plenty of water in the form of river, pools, tanks etc. and you say that water is the most precious thing. I do not agree with you.”
Balraj laughed and insisted that water is always the most precious thing for life. It depended on circumstances. The king asked him to prove his point. Balraj said that he would prove it at the right time.
A few days later the king decided to go hunting. He took Balraj also. Balraj arranged for everything that was necessary. King Sompal chased and hunted animals for the whole day. By the end of the day he had hunted many wild games. Now king Sompal was feeling tired. He asked Balraj to arrange a neat and clean place where he could relax for some time.
King Sompal hadn’t had a single drop of water throughout the day; he had been so busy hunting. He was feeling partially dehydrated. He asked Balraj to arrange some drinking water for him. But Balraj, instead of bringing water for him, presented the king with a tray full of diamonds. King Sompal became very angry with him and admonished him- “ I am dying of thirst and you are playing jokes on me. What shall I do with these diamonds? Throw them away and bring some water for me.”
Balraj said, “My Lord! I have proved my point. Now I need not tell you how precious water is.”
He gave him water. King Sompal drank the water and quenched his thirst. Now he had understood that water was the most precious thing.
