The Beggar King part of the Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Gertrude Landa
A King was with the highest priest who read from the Holy Book, the passage said "For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation."
The king was mad and told them to tear out any page of the Holy Book that offended him. He later went hunting and caught what he thought was a deer but was actually a genie in disguise. The genies purpose was to teach the King a lesson that the King is not immune to losing his riches and authority.
The genie took place of the King and left the King to fend for himself. Through time the King became a "beggar" and had lost everything he had ever know. He experienced the life of a beggar with people taunting and taking pity on him.
What is important is that the King remembered his old life, he had to feel the loss of everything while trying to survive with nothing.
As time went on, the King found a group of blind beggars and he took on the role as their guide. This entire process and new life showed the King humility and empathy. He seemed to realize that he was not better than anyone else.
The genie later on invited the beggars to a gathering at the castle, he told the King that he had learned his lesson and can come back to his role as King. The King told him he didn't want to because he had bonded and found a purpose in life while being a guide to his blind friends.
The King became King again against his wishes, but he lived a life of service and was more kind to everyone.
This was a super interesting story to me and I related to it a lot. I do my practicum at the Homeless Alliance Dayshelter. I have heard a form of this story in real life. People who "had it all" fall on hard times or have a traumatic event happen and end up falling into poverty and homelessness.
In this story, as a someone passing the King in his stage as a beggar, the person wouldn't have known the King was once rich with money and authority. They would simply cast judgment, throw him some coins, and move on.
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