Last Updated on September 5, 2022
There’s a reason why greedy people are cruel and unbearable. They tend to only think of themselves. They’ll happily neglect those around them so long as they’re able to get what they want. They have no time for spiritual enlightenment and become the biggest bullies in the world.
Things don’t turn out great for greedy people. Greed leads to pain and suffering. And most greedy people often end up losing everything in the end.
Here’s a fictional story about greed and how it led to a king’s downfall.
The King and His Cave of Treasure
Once upon a time, there lives a greedy king who cared only for his treasures. He was so greedy that he exiled his two brothers fearing they’ll one day take everything from him. He never took a wife or had children for the same reason.
He spent his days developing new ways to gain more wealth. He imposed heavy taxes on his subjects. The king did not care if you were an old woman or a poor farmer — if you live in the village, you’ll have to offer money if you wanted to continue living there.
As head of the kingdom, the king seemingly had it all. In his mind, nothing could ever go wrong so long as he was all of his gold.
And as the king got older, he became more reclusive. The only person he’d talk to was one of his ministers who is also the head of treasury.
It took a couple of years but eventually, the king’s house was filled with too much gold. And so he asked his minister to store all of it in a nearby cave. He was instructed to make sure that nobody would be able to get in or out.
The minister did as he was instructed. For security, the cave was closed off and locked from the outside. The only people who had access were the minister and the king.
A Life of Fortune
The king now had it all. Every chance he’d get, he’ll take a walk to the cave with his royal guards not far behind. Kids and their parents would watch the king as he walked by without a care in the world as they begged to be given food.
The king’s greed had reached a level nobody thought was even possible.
The king’s guards would barricade the cave whenever the king entered. Only the king was allowed to admire all the gold he accumulated over time. He took pleasure in spending hours just sitting there imagining what the cave would look like if he filled it up even more.
And when he got tired and the sun is low, that’s when he’d walk across town and go back home.
The King Goes Missing
One night, the king had a sudden urge to visit the cave. So he got dressed and started walking to the cave. But unlike his previous visits, the king went alone.
He got to the cave and sat inside lusting for more gold like he normally does.
However, the minister was outside the cave making his daily rounds. He saw that the cave was open. He thought that the king forgot to lock up after his last visit. So without checking inside, he locked up the cave and went home for the night.
By the time the king noticed that he was trapped inside, it was too late. There was nobody around to notify the minister. And because he was so reclusive, it wasn’t all that unusual for the king to not be seen for days or weeks at a time.
The hours turned to days. With nothing to eat or drink, the king fell deeper into desperation. At one point, he even started hallucinating. The talked to his treasure as if it were his family. He begged it for food. He tried to search for anything he could eat but couldn’t find anything.
The king was ready to trade all of his gold for bread and milk. But he got none.
Meanwhile, the minister was scrambling to find the king. He went to the village to see if they know anything. If the king went out of the castle, surely someone in the village would have seen him. But the villagers didn’t seem to know or care. One farmer even went so far as to say that the king could die and he wouldn’t shed a tear.
The minister checked the cave but seeing it was locked from the outside, he didn’t think the king was inside.
The king was about to take his last breath when he realized that all of his treasure had done him nothing and cost him everything.
He regretted every decision he’s made and vowed to do better in his next life.
Moral of the Story
There are a couple of things we can take away from this story.
- Greed Is Never the Answer — There are far more important things in life than money or fame.
- Family Is Everything — Never choose gold over your family and friends for they will be the ones to care for you in the end.
- Care for Those Around You — Don’t be like the king. Care for the people in your community.
