322nd story

A King was walking slowly through his magnificent garden one afternoon, enjoying the fragrance of flowers and the shade of tall trees. The air was calm, and everything seemed peaceful.

As he strolled along the stone pathways, his tired and unhappy gardener approached him.

The gardener’s clothes were dusty, his hands rough from labour, and sweat covered his forehead. With frustration in his voice, he said:

“Your Majesty, what is the difference between your minister and me? Why must I work so hard every day, sweating under the sun and exhausting myself, while he lives in comfort and luxury, enjoying his life without such hardship?”

The King paused for a moment. He did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked thoughtfully at the gardener, then calmly ordered both the gardener and his minister to come to the palace courtyard at once.

Soon, both men stood before the King.

The king said, “In the corner of the garden, a cat has given birth. Go and find out how many kittens she has brought into the world.”

The gardener and the minister both went to the garden to investigate. After some time, they returned to report their findings.

The gardener spoke first. “Your Majesty, I saw the cat. She has given birth to three beautiful kittens.”

Then it was the minister’s turn. He unfolded a small piece of paper and began reading from his notes:

“Your Majesty, following your command, I went to the southwest corner of the garden.

Beneath the mulberry tree, I found a white cat who had given birth to three kittens. Two of them are male, and one is female. One male kitten is completely white, while the other is black and white. The female kitten is gray. They appear to be approximately one month old. I also observed discreetly that the palace cook brings leftover food daily to the mother cat, which helps her feed her kittens. Furthermore, I noticed that the female kitten has an infection in her left eye, which may cause complications if not treated.”

When the minister finished speaking, the king turned to the gardener and said gently:

“This is why you are the gardener… and he is the minister.”