Once
upon a time, a king had a great highway built for the
people who lived in his kingdom. After it was completed,
but before it was opened to the public, the king decided
to have a contest. He invited as many of his subjects as
desired to participate. The challenge was to see who
could travel the highway the best, and the winner was to
receive a box of gold.
On
the day of the contest, all the people came. Some of
them had fine chariots, some had fine clothing and fancy
food to make the trip a luxurious journey. Some wore
their sturdiest shoes and ran along the highway on their
feet to show their skill. All day they traveled the
highway, and each one, when he arrived at the end,
complained to the king about a large pile of rocks and
debris that had been left almost blocking the road at
one point, and that got in their way and hindered their
travel.
At
the end of the day, a lone traveler crossed the finish
line warily and walked over to the king. He was tired
and dirty, but he addressed the king with great respect
and handed him a small chest of gold. He said, "I
stopped along the way to clear a pile of rocks and
debris that was blocking the road. This chest of gold
was under it all. Please have it returned to its
rightful owner."
The
king replied, "You are the rightful owner."
"Oh no," said the traveler, "This is not
mine. I've never known such money."
"Oh
yes," said the king, "you've earned this gold,
for you won my contest. He who travels the road best is
he who makes the road better for those who will
follow."
Author
Unknown
