The King and the Foolish Adviser
A king had two advisers: one quiet and careful, one loud and full of grand ideas.
The loud one said, "Build a golden gate! Everyone will see how great you are."
The quiet one said, "Mend the water channels first, or the fields will dry."
The king liked the golden gate, and it was built, and it did look magnificent.
But that summer the channels broke, the crops failed and the people went hungry.
"Grand advice is easy to like," the king said sadly, "and good advice is easy to ignore."
The advice that sounds most exciting is not always the advice you need.
Good AdviceDid you know?
Ancient India had huge stepwells and canals, some of them over 1500 years old.
Try this at home
When you have two choices, ask which one helps most, not which sounds best.
Questions to talk about
Ask these after reading. The answer is underneath each one.
What did the loud adviser suggest?
Answer: A golden gate
What did the quiet adviser suggest?
Answer: Mending the water channels
What is the moral?
Answer: Exciting advice is not always right
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