In our distant India they tell a tale, απ’ the ones that make you smile, because they have a surprisingly instructive ending.
Once upon a time there was an emperor, who had chosen as his personal adviser a very wise old man who, however, had a great defect, he kept repeating, “whatever happens to you is for your own good… whatever happens to you is for your own good”…
But the emperor even though the “fault” of the sage irritated him, she kept him close because his advice and wisdom, they were very useful to him for this reason as well, he always took him with him, especially when he was moving away from the palace.
A rainy day, the emperor decided to beautify himself and after being washed by the women of the court, he asked the barber to shave him and give him a manicure.
But while the barber was cutting his nails, there was a thunderbolt so loud that the emperor and the barber were so frightened that the barber cut off the emperor's little finger... Screams, pain and anger overwhelmed the emperor who fell upon the barber in great rage:
“Fast to jail, unworthy, you cut off the emperor's finger, you will rot in prison for the rest of your life!” Then the wise old man intervened and started repeating again: “whatever happens to you is for your own good..., whatever happens to you is for your own good”…
The emperor full of rage, he shouted: “That's enough, with this nonsense, I got tired of you all these years and you in prison, so you will be able to n’ you listen to your own crap for the rest of your life!”
The next day the emperor, to vent and relax, he decided to go hunting in the forest, alone of course, since he had imprisoned the old sage who usually followed him everywhere.
While in the forest, suddenly he was surrounded by the heretic warriors of the goddess Kali, they captured him and were very happy to find a victim to sacrifice to their goddess.
The emperor, he shouted, she screamed, he begged, but nothing. They had decided to sacrifice him to the goddess Kali who was the goddess of evil and celebrated that day.
So they dressed him in the special cassock, they anointed him with their holy oil, they tied him to the altar and while the leader was about to plunge the knife into his heart, he saw, with horror, that a limb was missing from the victim- his little finger, cursing and spitting he loosed him, because they were not allowed to sacrifice someone who was not worthy and so they let him go…
Still dazed, the emperor quickly ran to his palace and on the way realized what had happened,the wise old man was right and fortunately in that accident the barber cut off his finger and thus his life was saved.
What mattered one little finger less in the face of the danger he had run through; Better alive and with one less finger than dead!
Arriving at the palace the emperor, he immediately went to the prisons and freed the barber, and then went to the wise old man, entered the cell, hugged him and told him: “My friend, forgive me, for the harm I have done to you, how blind i was.
I was captured by the heretics of the goddess Kali and while they were about to sacrifice me, they saw that I was missing my little finger and let me go, you were right my friend, “what happens to us is for our good!” Forgive me my friend, you will always be near me and the whole kingdom belongs to you...
But now please tell me, you, that I put you in prison, “which is the good thing that happened to you;”
Calmly the old man looked at the emperor and answered him: “You see, Your Excellency, if you had not imprisoned me I would have accompanied you, as always, on your hunt in the woods and I don't miss a finger…! “Everything that happens to us is for our own good”.
