This is a folktale from Ethiopia. It is about Gurus. Gurus have knowledge and are therefore very special. People all over the world therefore honor them
This is a story from long ago when Ethiopia had Kings. The king was always the most wise man in the country. He lived in a big house in the city. The king would appoint a lot of people as noblemen. The noblemen's job was to take care of things in the country. One had to take care of the roads. One had to take care of the water canals. In that way, they all took care of the whole country. In return, the king would give the noblemen money. So the noblemen were rich.
Everyday when the King had his dinner, he would invite all the noblemen to his house. So the noblemen all thought that they were very special because only they were invited to the King's house for dinner. All the noblemen would sit at one dining table and the King would sit at his own special dining table. After eating, the king would ask them questions about how they had worked that day.
In those days, nobody else was special enough to eat at the Kings table. In fact nobody was allowed to even see him eat. So when the king sat down to eat his dinner at his table, the servants would bring a screen and put it between the noblemen's table and the King's table.
One day a learned man, a teacher, came to the city. He asked the noblemen if he could meet the King. They said Oh, No. You have to be very special to be invited by the king. That evening, the Noblemen went to the Kings house for dinner and what did they see?! The Teacher was also in the house for dinner! They talked amongst themselves. "How did HE get here? He is not a Nobleman. Only Noblemen get invited to the King's house".
But what happened next completely surprised by them. The King actually stepped out and called the Teacher to come and eat at the King's own table behind the curtain!
The Noblemen were so surprised! So after the dinner they asked the wise king "Oh King, why did you invite that Teachers to eat with you. He is just a poor man". So the King said "Oh Noblemen! You are all good people. However, you became rich because I gave you the money. However the Teacher became great because of his learning. Only God can give a man Knowledge and make him learned. That is why the Teacher is the greatest person in the city. That is why I honored him".
Reminder to parents: This folktale is from Ethiopia, not from India. That Knowledge is divine is a universal truth.
This is a story from long ago when Ethiopia had Kings. The king was always the most wise man in the country. He lived in a big house in the city. The king would appoint a lot of people as noblemen. The noblemen's job was to take care of things in the country. One had to take care of the roads. One had to take care of the water canals. In that way, they all took care of the whole country. In return, the king would give the noblemen money. So the noblemen were rich.
Everyday when the King had his dinner, he would invite all the noblemen to his house. So the noblemen all thought that they were very special because only they were invited to the King's house for dinner. All the noblemen would sit at one dining table and the King would sit at his own special dining table. After eating, the king would ask them questions about how they had worked that day.
In those days, nobody else was special enough to eat at the Kings table. In fact nobody was allowed to even see him eat. So when the king sat down to eat his dinner at his table, the servants would bring a screen and put it between the noblemen's table and the King's table.
One day a learned man, a teacher, came to the city. He asked the noblemen if he could meet the King. They said Oh, No. You have to be very special to be invited by the king. That evening, the Noblemen went to the Kings house for dinner and what did they see?! The Teacher was also in the house for dinner! They talked amongst themselves. "How did HE get here? He is not a Nobleman. Only Noblemen get invited to the King's house".
But what happened next completely surprised by them. The King actually stepped out and called the Teacher to come and eat at the King's own table behind the curtain!
The Noblemen were so surprised! So after the dinner they asked the wise king "Oh King, why did you invite that Teachers to eat with you. He is just a poor man". So the King said "Oh Noblemen! You are all good people. However, you became rich because I gave you the money. However the Teacher became great because of his learning. Only God can give a man Knowledge and make him learned. That is why the Teacher is the greatest person in the city. That is why I honored him".
Reminder to parents: This folktale is from Ethiopia, not from India. That Knowledge is divine is a universal truth.
