The Emperor: The competition is over... Place the crown on the head of the maker of men
Horizon Talk
The Emperor summoned the kingdom’s master goldsmith to craft a golden crown.
The competition’s winner would be one who had rendered outstanding services to the nation.
Everyone was mobilized to participate, all fully prepared.
On the appointed day, the Emperor gave the order to begin the contest.
The doctor: “The only reward I ask is that you alleviate the suffering of your subjects.”
The poet recited an ode celebrating his love for the homeland.
The Emperor was astounded by the engineer’s valuable military observations.
He saw an elderly, bent woman watching the scene with keen interest.
When Khrushchev visited certain factories, a worker caught his eye.
He inquired about the man’s background, found him disciplined, and ordered that a house be granted to him.
“They gave you the house and the car, but it seems you haven’t read Pravda!”
Building a nation begins with building its citizens. If the foundation is sound, the state becomes strong. This is precisely why, fundamentally, a state built upon mothers who have properly shaped their children through correct methods is resilient. As the late Egyptian poet Hafez Ibrahim said:
“The mother is a school; if you prepare her well,
You prepare a people of noble character.”
Mothers build generations and dedicate themselves to shaping individuals from their earliest days. Hence, they have secured a prominent place in history.
In today’s first story from “Horizon Talk,” a symbolic tale about the making of generations. The second story illustrates how a state collapses when corruption originates from the top, leaving diligent citizens at the mercy of corrupt managers. Thus, the collapse of the Soviet Union did not begin in the 1990s; it started when corruption took root in small circles, factories, and institutions. There is symbolism in the story drawn from Russia.
In the first story: An emperor summoned the country’s master goldsmith and asked him to craft a crown of pure gold, stating that he was preparing it for an important competition.
After a week, the goldsmith returned with a crown of exquisite beauty and splendor.
The emperor then announced, through town criers, that a competition would be held in a month, and that the winner must be someone who had rendered outstanding services to the nation.
Everyone was mobilized to participate: sculptors, poets, engineers, and doctors, all fully prepared.
On the appointed day, the platform was set up, the emperor took his seat on his high throne, and gave the order to begin the contest.
A young man in the prime of life stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I am a doctor. I have authored a medical book containing descriptions of previously unknown medicines, as well as various remedies for headaches, liver inflammation, stomach ulcers, and other ailments. The only reward I ask is that you alleviate the suffering of your subjects.”
The emperor was astounded by his knowledge, applauded him profusely, and thought to himself, “A young doctor with such skill and such love for his homeland is a promising sign.” He then asked him to return to his place.
Next, another young man stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I am a poet, and I have composed a poem I wish you to hear.” He recited an ode celebrating noble virtues, love for the homeland, and the achievements of ancestors, concluding with prayers for the sovereign.
The emperor was impressed by his eloquence and thought to himself, “How can a young man in the prime of life possess such eloquence?” He then said, “This is a good omen,” and the young man returned to his place.
Then a third man stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I am an engineer. I have traveled throughout the country and found no fortifications to protect the empire from enemies. This bridge must be demolished, as it would serve as a passage for enemies if they attack. Another should be built here instead. The fortress is unsuitable at the foot of the mountain; it would become a prison if enemies besieged us. It must be built on the summit, so we can strike them while they cannot strike us. These are my military observations, and I hope you will share them with the military commanders.”
The emperor was astounded by what he heard and said, “What am I seeing and hearing? A land promising prosperity.” He asked him to return to his place. Before the fourth contestant was called, the emperor saw an elderly, bent woman leaning on her cane, watching the scene with keen interest.
Fayyad Khalida said, “It is not polite to leave this lady waiting,” so he called her and asked her to step forward, and she stood before him. He asked her, “What do you have to show me?”
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She replied, “Your Excellency, I am not a contestant, but I am the mother of these three young men: the poet, the doctor, and the engineer. I have come to see which of them wins the prize.”
At that, the Emperor rose and said, “Gentlemen, the competition has ended, and we have one winner. Place the crown on the head of the maker of men.”
Khrushchev and the Worker Who Did Not Read Pravda
During a visit by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (who ruled the Soviet Union between 1953 and 1964) to several factories, he noticed a skilled, active, and diligent worker. He inquired about his background and found it impeccable, so he ordered that the worker be awarded a car and a house.
Days passed, and on the following Labor Day, Khrushchev toured the same factory again. He found the same worker and was once more impressed by his continued dedication, so he ordered that the worker be rewarded with a car and a house. The worker replied, “Your Excellency, Comrade, I am the very same person you rewarded last year with a car and a house, but I have not received them!”
Khrushchev asked the factory director, “Why did you not carry out my orders?”
The factory director simply brought him a copy of Pravda, the official newspaper of the Communist Party, and said, “We gave him the car and the house. Here are pictures of him standing in front of the house and the car.”
Khrushchev then said to the worker, “They gave you the house and the car, my son, but it seems you do not read Pravda.”
