The Circle Of 99, An Inspiring Story
Once upon a time there was a very distant kingdom that was ruled by a sad ruler. He himself did not understand the reasons for his melancholy, until one of his wise men made him see that everything was linked to the circle of 99. It will be a lesson he will never forget.
It all began one morning when the king, in the midst of his sadness, saw one of his servants enter. The humble man was smiling and humming a song, with great enthusiasm. The sovereign realized that this waiter was always happy. He then felt curiosity. How could a servant feel happy and he, being the king, not find peace?
He asked the man, “ Why are you so happy ? ”The servant did not know what to answer. “ Why not? “, He finally answered. “ I live in a palace, in the service of the most powerful man in the kingdom… I have what I need… A comfortable house, a faithful wife, healthy children… What more could you ask for? I don’t see why I shouldn’t be happy with the life I have … ”
The king was angry. He couldn’t believe a word of it. How could a man who had only a modest house and a diet much inferior to his own be happy? He threatened to behead him if he didn’t reveal the secret to his happiness. The servant apologized. He begged forgiveness for offending him. In the end, he had no way of answering.
The sage and the circle of 99
The king finally dismissed his servant. He hardly tolerated that smile that nothing made it go away. Even the death threat hadn’t really bothered him. He immediately sent for the wise men from the palace when the humble man left. He had to solve this riddle.
When the wise men were gathered, he ordered them to explain to him why the servant was happy with this miserable life and that he could not stop being sad. One of the wise men spoke up and said, “ It’s simple. The servant is happy because he still does not know the circle of 99 ″. The king was intrigued . What did this famous circle of 99 consist of?
The sage then told him that it was useless to explain in words the meaning of the circle of 99. It was best to verify it with his own eyes. It was only necessary to collect 99 pieces of pure gold. He would show her how, by entering the circle of 99, anyone who was a happy man would become an unhappy being. The king accepted the test.
Entering the circle of 99
The king ordered to collect 99 pieces of solid gold, the most precious of the kingdom. Together, with the sage, they put them in a bag and took them, secretly, to the house of the servant. They left them at the foot of the door, with a sign: “ This is a reward for being a faithful and devoted servant. Enjoy it ”. They then remained in hiding to observe what was happening.
The servant suddenly came out and saw the bag. He was surprised. He looked around and entered his house, puzzled. The king and the sage looked at him from outside, without being seen. The humble man took the coins and scattered them on the table.
He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He then proceeded to count his new fortune, arming stacks of 10 coins. The servant thought something was wrong when he got to the last pile. The latter did not contain 10 pieces, but 9.
The trap of the circle of 99
The servant thought that a coin had fallen. He looked everywhere, but he couldn’t find her. Then he said aloud: ” Someone saw the package and stole a coin “. He looked offended. He began to calculate: how long would it take him to get a coin to make up the hundred? He made additions and subtractions.
About five years would be needed while working normally. What if he had additional income? Perhaps he could reduce the number of years to two. What if he asked his wife to work on something extra as well? It is possible that one year is enough to reach its goal …
The servant became from then on became very anxious and suspicious. He suspected everyone in the palace. He thought that one of them had stolen the coin which he believed was lacking in his fortune. The servant was also afraid of being robbed again.
He kept making new plans to complete his hundred coins. He was stuck in the circle of 99. He no longer thought about what he had, but what he lacked. The sage was absolutely right.
Our thoughts The story of the samurai and the fisherman is a beautiful story that offers us a surprising lesson. It all started in ancient Japan. There was a …
