It came to be that there was a very old king in a faraway kingdom, long, long ago. This king was very wealthy and prosperous, for he had seized the lands of all his neighbors, he had been clever in his endeavours, and made allies of those who had been his enemies. But in all his castles and in all his children and grandchildren, he could not find a suitable heir. The kingdom was at peace for now, but if he did not find an heir to the throne before he died, the kingdom would erupt in chaos.
One day, he called for 100 boys from all his castles to come to his throne. There, they fought with wooden swords, and the best 33 were chosen. From those 33, they played chess, and the best three were chosen. And it was to those three that he told this story.
His father had once been king of the same lands he now possessed. But a long time of peace and prosperity in his father's time had made him complacent. His father had been wise, and just, and kind, but the kingdoms around his country had kings who were clever, and strong, and hungry.
Each time the kingdoms came into disagreement (which was often), the hungering kings would bring their armies up against his father. His father would always compromise with these kings because he loved his people and his country too much to send them to war. So each time the hungering kings raised their armies, his father would give away a little bit of their land.
Eventually, the king had given away almost all of their land, and all of their people. The castle had become cold and empty, and the kingdom was very weak. Finally, the kings threatened to take the castle and his father's crown from his hands or from his corpse.
Now the Old King, who was then a young prince, grew very angry. He roused all the soldiers that had served with his father and their sons, and bit by bit weakened their enemies. Then, when the armies came up against his father's castle, the young prince shut the gates and attacked them from behind. With the kings' armies caught between the castle and the prince's army, and without support or supplies, they were quickly defeated. Then the defeated kings went to the prince to ask him what price they might pay, to which replied, "None" and lopped their heads off.
To their sons he gave them their kingdoms, and he took his lands back for his kingdom, and swore never to appease a hungering king. And he chose none of his own children to be his heir, because they had become soft and appeasing in their attitudes.
This he said to the three boys.
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