The Shepherd’s Treasure

Once upon a time in Iran, there was a shepherd who was poor and hadn't gone
to school because there weren't many schools back then. But, he was really
smart in his own way and was friendly and helpful too. People in his village
often went to him when they had problems, and he was able to help them feel
better.

One day, the king decided to visit the shepherd. He dressed up like a regular
person and rode on a mule to the shepherd's cave. The shepherd gave him a
warm welcome, not knowing he was the king, and they spent the day talking
about smart and wise things. They even spent the night together.

The next morning, the king thanked the shepherd for being so nice to him. But
the shepherd looked at the king and called him "Your Majesty". The king was
surprised that the shepherd had figured out who he was, and he was really
happy about his wisdom. Right then, the king made the shepherd the governor
of a small area.

As a governor, the shepherd was really loved by the people. He was known to
be fair and wise. But the other governors got jealous because the shepherd
was so popular and the king liked him a lot. They started spreading rumors
that the shepherd was keeping some of the tax money in a big iron box that he
always carried around with him.

At first, the king didn't listen to these rumors. But he couldn't ignore them for
long, especially since the shepherd really did always have an iron box with
him. So one day, the king called the shepherd to the palace.

The shepherd arrived at the king's court with his iron box tied behind him on
the camel's back. Everyone in the court was excited to see the box, thinking it
was filled with stolen jewels. They hoped this would prove the shepherd was a
thief. The king asked the shepherd what was inside the box, and the shepherd
opened it to reveal an old blanket. The shepherd said the blanket was his only
treasure and oldest friend, and that it was the only thing he really owned
because everything else belonged to the king.
This was a perfect example of the shepherd's humility and wisdom. The king
saw this and realized how wise the shepherd truly was. As a reward, the king
made him the governor of an even bigger district.