There lived one great king. When the king grew old and the time had come for him to die, he called his only son and heir and said: “My son, you see for yourself - I already have one foot in the grave, not today or tomorrow I will die, and you yourself will remain alone and the whole kingdom will be in your hands.” Go and build yourself a safe house wherever you find it necessary, so that in times of grief or need you can take refuge there and find shelter for yourself. The son obeyed his father and immediately went to carry out his order.
He took a lot of money with him, walks around the whole kingdom and, wherever he likes the place - be it a mountain, a valley, a village or a wild forest - he builds beautiful palaces for himself. He built so many palaces and returned home satisfied. His father called him and asked:
- What, son, have you built a house for yourself according to my word, will you have somewhere to hide in difficult times? - Yes, father! - says the son. “Wherever I liked the place—in the mountains or in the valley—I built beautiful palaces.
“Woe to your enemy, my son,” says the father, “you didn’t build the houses I told you about: empty palaces, son, will not help in grief and will not shelter from trouble.” I taught you - throughout the kingdom, find honest and faithful people, love them, make friends with them, and they will give you a faithful and reliable shelter in difficult times. Know that if a person has a faithful and honest friend somewhere, there will be a home and shelter for him.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru