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A foolish king ruled in a city. His name was King Gopichand. The king neither had knowledge of policy nor was he concerned about the welfare of his subjects. But there was a very clever and intelligent minister in the king’s cabinet, whose name was Vishwamitra. He was very famous among the people for his wisdom and kind nature.
One day, the king issued a decree to keep track of every person in the kingdom. According to this strange decree, every citizen had to walk with a bell tied to his head so that the king could know if anyone was entering the kingdom without his permission. This decree caused discontent among the citizens and everyone started laughing at the foolishness of the king.
The problem worsened when bandits used it to their advantage. They would follow the sound of the bell and rob lone individuals. Soon an atmosphere of terror and fear prevailed in the state.
When minister Vishwamitra saw this, he became very worried. He decided to go to the king and explain to him the negative aspects of this decree. But the king said, “I have issued this decree on my own discretion, if you see any evil in it, then you find a solution.”
Minister Vishwamitra thought and made a plan. He called a citizen and ordered him to tie a bell to a huge tree near a large lake. The citizen did as he said. The next day, when the wind rang the bell, its sound echoed throughout the city. The citizens breathed a sigh of relief thinking that they would no longer have to walk with the bell tied to them. When incidents of theft and robbery stopped in the city, the king praised the intelligence of Minister Vishwamitra.
In this way, Vishwamitra not only solved a problem but also gave an important lesson to the people that ‘a true leader is one who thinks about the welfare of his subjects and provides the right guidance in times of crisis.’
The situation in the kingdom had become normal and the people once again started living happily and peacefully. Recognizing the wisdom of Vishwamitra, the people started respecting and honoring him. King Gopichand also understood that power alone is not enough, a successful and popular king is only he who can understand the pain and suffering of his subjects and can take effective steps to solve them.
Time passed and the kingdom flourished. One day, King Gopichand said to Vishwamitra, “O minister, I have learnt that the value of power lies in its exercise, not in its suppression. Now I want you to help me make my kingdom a prosperous and lively place.”
Vishwamitra appreciated this change in the king and suggested some good policies. He proposed that education, health and agriculture be encouraged in the state. The king accepted Vishwamitra’s suggestions wholeheartedly and soon primary education was made free in the state, new hospitals were opened and new tools and seeds were distributed to the farmers for farming.
The subjects saw this improvement in their lives and started thanking the king. Gradually, King Gopichand not only became the darling of the subjects but also became famous in the neighboring kingdoms. The king started spending time among the subjects, listening to their problems and also participating in every solution. Under the guidance of Vishwamitra, the king did many more works for public welfare and took the kingdom to new heights of prosperity.
