"I do not want to be anybody's slave"

This story is about a farmer. He himself was illiterate, but he wanted his only son to be well educated, so he kept aside all the money that he earned and sent his son to school and university. The son was a very brilliant student, and eventually he got his university degree.

After receiving his degree, the son came back home to his father’s farm. The father was extremely pleased with his son. He said, “I am so proud of you! You did so well in all your examinations, and you have earned a university degree. But now I would like you to do some agricultural work.”

The son was surprised and shocked. He said, “Father, what are you saying? You made so many sacrifices to send me to university so that I could do higher studies, and now you want me to do simple agricultural work? You yourself did not go to school, but you valued education so much that you spent all your money on the best schooling for me. And now you want me to do farming like you? What is the reason, Father?”

The father said, “All right, all right, I am sorry. I made a mistake. Since I spent so much money on you, please go and get a good job. If you do not want to help me at all, I will not mind, as long as you are happy. You may go. I wish you good luck.” Then the father added, “I have a rich friend who works for the king. You can go to his place and ask if he can help you to get a job at the king’s palace.”

The young man returned to the city and went to see his father’s friend. The friend was very, very kind to the young man and invited him to spend the night there. He promised to take the young man to the king’s palace the following morning and help him get a job.

The young man was so happy and excited. He liked his father’s friend and he was looking forward to working at the palace and utilising all the knowledge that he had acquired. Perhaps, eventually, he would even become the king’s minister!

The night was still quite young, and so the older man said, “Let us play a game of dice to pass the time.” They began playing and for some time they were enjoying themselves immensely. All of a sudden, quite late at night, a messenger came from the king. He said to the older man, “The king has summoned you. You must come at once.” The man dropped his dice then and there and immediately got ready to leave. He apologised to the young man and said, “This is what happens.”

The young man could not understand at all. He said, “Where are you going at this hour? Can you not go and see the king tomorrow morning?”

His father’s friend said sadly, “Oh, yes, tomorrow morning! If I do not go now, not only will I lose my job — that I do not mind — but the king may chop off my head! I have no choice but to go immediately. This is what happens when you work for a king. One moment the king may be nice to you, but the next moment he may be very strict. He may even punish you mercilessly. I do not want to lose my head for the sake of a good night’s sleep.”

The young man realised he was not meant for that kind of life. Before the friend returned home the next morning, the young man went back to his father’s farm. He said to his father, “You encouraged me to go to the king and get a job, but I do not want to be anybody’s slave. The best thing is for me to stay here and help you with the farming. I want to follow your profession so that I can enjoy freedom. If I work at the king’s palace, I will be at his beck and call. Here I can do everything in my own time.”

Needless to say, the father was extremely happy and deeply relieved that his son had given up his ambition to work for the king.