In the kingdom of Goldcrest, there lived a very proud king named King Proudheart. He believed he could do anything. His castle was big, shiny, and full of gold. The king always said, “I am the most powerful! Everyone must obey me!” He never listened to others. When he disliked something—even a small thing—he would shout for his guards. His favorite guard was a tall man called Sir Ironshield. The guard always did whatever the king ordered, even when it hurt other people’s feelings.
One day, the king saw a small food stall near the palace gate. The smell of fried corn made the king frown. “I don’t like that smell! Remove it now!” he ordered. Sir Ironshield sadly asked the stall owner to leave. The people felt upset. The next week, the king saw a dog sleeping on his royal chair. “I hate dogs! Make it disappear!” he yelled again. The chair was cleaned, the dog was sent away, and the workers cried quietly in the hallway. The king was also very stingy. He never shared food or coins. When some kids asked for help, he said, “No! My coins are mine!”
Soon, most people in the kingdom did not like King Proudheart. They called him “the greedy ruler.” Except for Sir Ironshield, no one smiled at him. Trees were cut if he disliked leaves falling, songs were banned if he hated the tune, and many things vanished from the palace. One evening, Sir Ironshield said softly, “Your Majesty, power is not about removing things… it is about sharing kindness.” The king stopped. For the first time, he felt lonely. The halls were silent, no songs, no dogs, no stalls—just gold and emptiness. The king realized that being powerful did not mean being loved. And that night, inside the cold golden walls, he finally understood: a great king rules with generosity, not fear.