The+Wooden+Sword

Robert **__The wooden sword__** There once was a king who worried, worried, and worried. He feared his armies would lose in battle. That his treasury would empty. He thought his ministers were disloyal. He couldn’t be at peace. After some time he came to wonder “how common people find happiness?” “Do they worry as I?” “I wish I could just be a little bird and listen to what they say.” Then he thought of something. He asked his guards to bring the dirtiest rags they could find. After they delivered the rags he told then to leave. He put on the rags and that night he snuck out of the palace. He walked through the market in disguise, watching the commoners. When night came he passed an old shack. Looking through the window he saw a man sitting an old table eating a loaf of bread, smiling his head off. The king wondered why the poor man was so happy. He knocked on the door. He said "I am a beggar could you spare me some food?” “Of course” he said “come in I don’t have much but what I do have is yours.” The generosity of the poor man surprised the king. “Why are you so happy” asked the king. “It was a god day today” he said “I repair shoes I repaired enough to get some bread.” “What if you don’t earn enough money to get bread tomorrow?” the man replied “Day by day, I have faith. All will be well.” The king thought about these words. He realizes that this man’s faith brings him happiness. “I wonder if he will be happy in times of hardship.” The king thought. The king thought of how to test this man’s faith. The next morning a new law came out that said you cannot repair shoes ”all will be well” The man assured himself. He saw a woman struggling with a bucket of water. He rushed over to help her. She handed him a coin for his work. He came up with an idea he helped carried water all day long. By sunset he could by himself dinner. Wondering if his new friend would be happy without a meal, the king came (disguised as a beggar) came back to the old shack where the man lived. To his surprise he saw the man eating bread and drinking soda. He knocked on the door the man came to the door and immediately the king asked “how you can have bread and soda tonight, with the new law” “I made more helping people carry water than when I repaired shoes” he replied. “What if no one wants you to carry water tomorrow?” again he replied “Day by day, I have faith. All will be well” the king left confused by the man’s faith “he has not had hard time” he thought. Messengers posted a sign on the well. ”It is now illegal to carry water for others. The man thought of what to do when he saw man carrying wood on their backs. “Do you need help?” he asked a woodcutter. “Certainly” the woodcutter replied. The man cut wood all day and by sunset he could by bread, soda and a bit of meat. The king came again as a beggar and saw the fine meal and asked “how did you managed to get this?” “I am a woodcutter now” he said. The king was unhappy with this he grumbled “when he becomes hungry he will lose faith. When the man went to go join the woodcutters he found them surrounded by palace solders. One of them said “all woodcutters are now guards. Go to the palace.” He now in armor and with a sharp sword at his side he stood guard all day. Then he went to the captain of the soldiers to request pay so he could eat. “Guards are paid once a month” the captain said. The man went home, unhappy, he passed a dealer and came up with an idea he sold the metal blade and got enough food for a month knowing he would be able to buy it back at the end of the month. He made a wooden sword to fit the sword holder. The king came back in his rags and asked in amazement “How did you get this food?” “I sold the blade of the sword to buy food for the month and then I will buy it back.” The man replied. “What if have to draw your blade tomorrow?” asked the king again he replied “day by day, I have faith. All will be well”. As he left he thought “I have him now his faith will not be so strong in a cell.” That next day while the man was guarding the palace the captain approached followed by a crowd. The captain was dragging a man said to be a thief. “He has stolen some apples” said the captain “the king ordered you to take him to the dungon. You must him lead him with your sword" The man stood there thinking if I pull my sword I too will be arrested because the proper blade isn’t there. He thought of something he looked at the sky and said “lord if this man is truly guilty give me the strength to serve the king but, if he is innocent turn my sword to wood!” then he drew his sword and it was wood “it’s a miracle!” people said. The man that was accused of being a thief was let free. At that moment the king stepped out of the crowd and asked “do you know me?” “You are the king are you not?” he replied. “I am the beggar that came every night.” said the king “I think you can help me get rid of my worries. It became so the man that had little welth but had great faith was the trusted advisor to the king.

The Wooden Blade Rewrite by: Alex Knott There was once a king who only had worrisome thoughts, like if his armies would lose, or if he would lose his kingdom. One day he looked at the marketplace and saw all the commoners. He said to himself, “How do they all find happiness, do they not worry?” He though on it for a little longer, then he had an idea. He told his servants to dress up in the clothes of beggars, and wonder the streets to find out. He himself had the royal seamstress make clothes of rag for him. He walked out of the place; even the guards didn’t notice him. The king freely walked the marketplace all day and watched all the commoners and their actions. When nightfall came, he went to a rundown house, were the man inside was eating a loaf of bread happily. The king knocked on the door and said, “May I please join you for dinner, I am a beggar with no food?” The poor man kindly replied “Certainly” and the poor man rushed him to the table where he fed him bread and water. The king asked “Why are you so happy?” The man replied, “I restore shoes, and today was a good day, I earned my dinner.” The king asked, again “What if you don’t have as good a day tomorrow?” The poor man said, “Day by day, I have faith all will be well.” The next day the king made a new law, and hung a sign over the market place, which said,” You may not repair shoes; if they break you have to buy new ones.” When the poor man saw the sign he sighed and looked for a job. He ended up asking a wood cutter if he needed help, and the woodcutter said “Certainly” and the poor man worked for him for the rest of the day. Again the king dressed as a beggar went to the poor man’s house and saw him drinking wine, bread, and cheese. The king nocked and was kindly brought in again. The king ask “How did you get this food, you surly saw the sign in the market place?” The poor man replied, “Yes I did, but I spent the day working as a woodcutter, and it pays well!” The kin g was shocked but had another idea. The next day, when the poor man went to the woodcutters, he saw the woodcutters flanked by guards, the captain said “All woodcutters are to report to the place to become place guards” So the poor man was put in the line was taken to the place. So the poor man was put in a stiff uniform, and given a sharp sword. He was told to guard the place gate all day, which he did. When he was told to go home he asked the captain for his pay to buy dinner, the captain replied “Guards are only paid once a month” So the poor man went home, and had an idea. He went down to the pawn shop and sold his new swords blade, which gave him enough money to buy food for a month, when he got paid he could buy it back. So the poor man set his table with bread and wine and blessed it just before the king dressed as a beggar came, the king knew he couldn’t have earned and money that day, so he asked “How did you earn money today?” The poor man not suspecting it was the king said, “I sold my blade to the pawn shop, and I made this wooden one to put in my sheath tomorrow, I will buy it back in a month when I get my pay” After dinner the king left and chuckled “I have him now” The next day the captain of the guards brought a man before the poor man and said, “This man is a thief who stole a melon the king has ordered you to behead him. The poor man thought for a second, if he pulled out his blade he would be beheaded too, but he had an idea. He cried out “Oh mighty god on high, if this man is truly guilty give me the strength to serve my kings command, but if he is innocent... Turn my blade to wood! Dramatically he pulled out his blade, and the crowd gasped. The king walked up to him clapping and said “Do you recognize me” The poor man replied “You are the king” The king said “Look closer I am the beggar that came to your house ever night.” The poor man smiled as he recognized his brow. The king said again “You will be poor no longer and will eat dinner with me every night” So the poor man became the kings wise advisor, and ate dinner with him every night.