There was a country which chose its king in a strange way.
When an old king died, the wise men of the country set free a
small bird from a cage. They watched the bird until it landed on
the roof of a house. Whoever lived in that house became the
next king.
       The bird landed on the roof of a small hut. This hut was the
home of a poor musician. He played his cheap bamboo flute in
the town square. He was very poor.
       The musician became the new king. He told his servants to
make a glass case. He put this case in the centre of his palace.
He put his cheap, bamboo flute in the case.
       The wise men of the country did not like this. “That flute
is worthless,” they said. “You mustn’t put something worthless
in a glass case. People will think you cannot tell the difference
between something that is worthless and something that is not.
They’ll laugh at you.”
      The king said, “That flute is my most valuable possession.
When I look at it, I shall remember that I am really a poor
musician. I shall remember that I am only a man like all other
men. I shall not be too proud. I shall be a good king.” And he
was the best king the country ever had.

                  音乐家国王
从前有一个国家用一种很奇怪的方法来选举国王。当老国王去世的时
候，这个国家的智者就从笼子里放出一只小鸟。他们看小鸟落到谁家的屋顶
上，谁就可以成为下一任国王。
小鸟落在了一座小木屋的屋顶上。小木屋里面住着一位贫穷的音乐家。
他在城镇的广场上吹便宜的竹笛。他非常穷。
音乐家成了新国王。他让仆人做了一个玻璃盒子，放在王宫的中央。新
国王把他便宜的竹笛放到了盒子里。
这个国家的智者不喜欢国王的这种做法。他们说：“这支笛子一文不
值。你不应该把不值钱的东西放在玻璃盒子里面。人们会认为你分不清事物
的价值。他们会嘲笑你的。”
国王说：“那支笛子是我最贵重的东西。每当看见它，我就会想起我曾
经是一个贫穷的音乐家，会记得自己和其他人一样平凡，这样就不会骄傲，
才能成为一个好国王。”后来他成为那个国家有史以来最好的一位国王。