The Riddle of the Sun King
It was said the grand and wise ruler possessed great riches given to
him by the sun, and thus he was called the Sun King. And yet, his
wealth was not evident and no one could find it. His people understood
that his vast knowledge was worth more than all the gold they knew
existed. But they could not understand how he could obtain so many
extra things for them. Exotic spices, sturdy fabrics and storehouses
packed with grain were always available for them. He didn’t live like
other kings, and seemed to prefer an average abode like everyone else.
He worked and hunted alongside them every day. Perhaps that is why he
was so loved. And protected. It was said that, if need be, every soul
in the tribe would fight to protect their beloved king. And because he
was such a good king, the tribe was healthy and had the best warriors.
The Sun King maintained peaceful relations with all neighboring tribes, so war was unlikely. On the chance that hostilities should break out someday, however, an invading enemy would find little bounty. This was as much a surprise to his people as it was to visitors who occasionally traveled into the kingdom. It simply came down to one mystery: No one knew where the King kept the sparkling stones which were said to be used to trade for what the tribe needed. Even his closest advisers didn’t know. They only had one clue by which to guess an answer. Every time before the King would depart to trade for goods, he would spend a day with the tribal shaman.
So, did the shaman and the king visit the sun to obtain the precious stones? That had to be the answer, for everyone knew the shaman had nowhere to hide such treasure. His hut was small and crowded with animal skins, dried plants and other such things. His only possession seen as valuable to the tribe was his drum, since it provided the means for him to help cure them when they were sick, and to aid him in gaining knowledge for the king to use in guiding the tribe. Besides, no one wanted much to do with anything in the old shaman’s hut because everyone knew it was guarded by powerful spirits. Some had seen lions guarding the doorway. Others had reported snakes slithering in all directions to ward off intruders. Still others had spotted fierce animals seeming to emerge right out of the drum and the old stump on which it sat.
And so it is that the riddle of the Sun King was never solved. And no riches were ever found.
Perhaps someday the powerful spirits guarding the secret will reveal all answers to the riddle when the right soul finds the drum and strikes it at just the right time. Then, as in the old days, perhaps the sun will reveal its secrets and present the new Sun King with precious stones. But it will probably be a very long time before that happens.
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