Chapter Text
ORIGINAL STORY OF: The king who makes dreams come true
King Phrommath at of Pharanasi was once known for his greatness. His kingdom became the most prosperous and his people the most contented. The king could give his people everything. . .
"Did I give my people everything?" wondered King Phrommath at.
"Yes, everything. . . except for . . . their dreams," he thought.
"But as I am the greatest king, I should be able to give them everything, even their dreams."
So, the next day, the king made a proclamation to his people.
"From now on, tell me your dream. I will make everyone’s dream come true."
The people of Pharanasi then went to have audience with their king daily, to recount their dreams from the previous night whereby the king fulfilled their every dream.
One day, an old man walked into the palace to have an audience with the king.
"Your Highness, last night I dreamed that I was married to the daughter of the richest man in the kingdom."
"Your dream will come true tomorrow," promised the king, "I will order the rich man to have an audience with me first."
The old man was so overwhelmed with joy.
"I will be the happiest man on earth. The rich man's daughter is so young and beautiful."
He was so overjoyed that he could not help himself. On his way home, he walked by the rich man's house to see the rich man's daughter. Once there, he said to the rich man,
"I dreamed that I married your daughter last night and I have informed the king about it. He will arrange the wedding for me tomorrow."
The rich man was alarmed but he called his daughter to let her know about it. The rich man’s daughter was a very smart girl. She said to the old man,
"Oh, dear Grandfather, if the king orders us, we must follow his command. But we must wait for his order. Today, you must return to wait at your house first. When I receive the order from the king, I will be your wife."
The old man returned home happily; he could hardly wait to have such a young and beautiful girl for his wife.
The rich man asked his daughter, "Do you think you can really follow the king's command, my daughter?"
"Oh, no Father, the old man is old enough to be my grandfather. I cannot marry him, but we have to think of how to get out of this situation," she answered.
They continued discussing the matter until late that night. Finally, the girl came up with a brilliant plan. They asked their gardener to help execute the plan.
Early the next morning, the rich man’s gardener went to have an audience with the king. He was the first one on that day. So, he asked,
"Your Majesty, is it true, as I was told, that you would grant your people their dreams?"
"Yes, what is your dream?" the king asked.
"Then, I am the happiest man on earth." The gardener continued, "I dreamed that I married the queen last night."
The king was infuriated,
"How dare you dream that you married my wife!"
"I am not giving you my wife. This is not right. You are just a gardener; how can you marry a queen? Now off with your arrogant head."
Before the guards arrived, the gardener said, "Please have mercy on me. You already gave me your word that you would give me my dream. I am following your command. You cannot talk about right or wrong now. Even the old man who was old enough to be the girl's grandfather was allowed to be married to a young woman of fourteen."
The king was speechless.
After a while, he said, "All right, then, I will stop this command from now on. You are not going to marry my wife. The old man is not going to marry the rich man's daughter."
So ended the vain command of King Phrommath at of Pharanasi.
And so ends the tale of “The King Who Makes Dreams Come True.”