by Gulrukh Tausif

Created on: March 14, 2010   Last Updated: April 29, 2012

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a king. He was a very good, kind-hearted king but he had one major fault. He was always forgetting his things. Someday he would misplace his royal shoes. At other times, he would lose the gold keys to the treasury. Sometimes he would not be able to find his diamond rings. So you see, he was a very forgetful king, His servants would always rush around the castle looking for his things.

One day, the king got up early in the morning. A very important guest was coming to his castle that day. The guest was the king of the neighboring country and the king wanted to look his best. He took five hours to get ready.

First, he took a perfumed bath. Then he wore a new white, silk tunic. He then put on his new, purple robe. A servant tied his bright, red sash around his plump waist. On his feet he wore red velvet shoes with embroidered with gold thread. Another servant slipped gold and diamond rings on the king’s stubby fingers. The royal hairdresser combed and brushed and fluffed his hair and royal beard.

At last when the king felt that he looked his best, he decided to sit upon his throne and wait for his noble guest. He looked at the red cushion where his crown was usually placed. To his horror, the gem-studded crown was not there. Oh what a catastrophe!

You see, a king is not really a king unless he is wearing a crown. Now you can understand why he was so upset. He did not call his servants and started looking for his precious crown. He looked under the bed and inside his cupboards. He searched the wardrobe and looked inside his shoes closet. He looked inside the queen’s cupboards too but the crown was nowhere to be found.

He hurried to the breakfast room and looked under one hundred chairs. He went to the dinner room and looked under two hundred chairs and fifty long tables but the crown was not there. The king’s face was red and his legs were tired but finding the crown was very important.

He went to the stables and looked under the horses’ feet. He went to the royal swimming pool and peered at the clear, blue water. Just then the trumpets sounded. The royal guests had arrived and the king had not found his crown.

“Oh my!” the king said in panic. “My guest has arrived and I have not yet found my crown. What shall I do now?”

He clutched his hair in desperation and his hands touched something hard and pointed. It was the royal crown! It had been on his head all the time.

“Silly me,” the king thought happily, relieved to have found his crown.

“But now I wonder where I left my purple robe?Oh dear! I cannot meet my noble guest without my new purple robe...."

So he off went again, looking for his royal garment. I hope he finds his purple robe quickly, don't you?

Inspired by the poem: 'The King Has Lost His Crown' by Dorothy Baum

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