THE MYSTERIOUS GARDEN.
Once upon a time there lived a mighty king who was both wise and just. This ruler issued a decree that no one in his dominions should receive any reward, office or honor that he did not truly deserve.
Now at the court were three royal children, each of them richly endowed with virtue and talent, and they grew up to be handsome and amiable young men, well-liked by every one. The king was very fond of them and wished them to occupy the highest stations in life which would accord with their merit. So one day he sent for them and said, "My children, I would like to set you above all others in my palace, for I believe you capable of great deeds of virtue. But you know the law of this country which says that honors may be conferred upon no one who has not proved worthy to receive them. It is my desire that you attain high rank, but this you cannot reach by remaining at court. You will therefore go out into the world and try to earn, by your own endeavor, the prize promised by the law, and which I shall delight to bestow upon you. In due time I will send for you, and the summons must be answered without delay. Be careful what you do, for your reward will be that which you merit."
The king had ordered, and the three young men had to obey, although they did not relish leaving the court, where life was very pleasant for them. So they bade their sovereign good-bye, embarked on a ship and set sail, without any definite plan as to what country they should visit.
The weather was fine and they sailed on until they reached an island which looked very beautiful to them. They landed, and after walking for some time reached a fair garden full of wonderful trees, flowers and fruit. There they were met by three men, each of whom gave them a word of advice.
The first said that their stay in the garden would not be forever; that the time would come when they would be forced to leave.
The second told them that they were welcome to enjoy all that the garden could offer, but that they must leave it just as they entered it, and take nothing away with them.
The third advised them to be virtuous, upright, and moderate in their pleasures, as such a course would go far towards living a long and happy life.
The young men listened to this wise counsel and then entered the garden, which was much more wonderful than they had imagined it to be. There were great trees, from the branches of which came the exquisite singing of innumerable birds; their eyes were gladdened by the beauty of the flowers, which gave forth a most pleasing perfume, and they found an abundance of delicious fruit, with which the trees were laden. Here was a paradise.
For some time they rested under the shade of the trees, regaling themselves with the freshly-picked fruit and drinking from springs that bubbled and sparkled from the ground like fountains. Then they separated, each seeking a still more enchanting spot.
The first of the young men was so overcome by the beauty that surrounded him that he thought only of present enjoyment, forgetting entirely the advice of the man who had first addressed them before entering the garden. His only idea was to eat, sleep, be merry and cast away all care.
In his wanderings the second youth discovered gold, silver and precious stones in such abundance that neither the beauty of the flowers, with their fragrance, nor the lusciousness of the fruit appealed to him at all. He was dazzled by the treasures he found, and his only thought was of how much he could gather together and take away with him. He, too, forgot the warning of the second man who had spoken to them.
But the third young man bore in mind all the advice given them by the three guards, and he did not agree with the habits into which his companions had fallen. He certainly enjoyed his life in the garden, and took great pleasure in studying all that it contained. And the more he studied the greater was his wonder at the marvels of nature. Everything was in such good order and so well kept; there was not even a blade of grass that did not show evidence of having been watered. And the strangest thing about it was that he had seen no one to care for all of this. But the garden was so perfect and so admirably kept that it was impossible there should be no master gardener to keep this domain in such wonderful order.
So great became his admiration for this man, whoever he might be, that it became his greatest desire to know him, and to thank him for all the pleasure he had received from just being there, and for the opportunity allowed him to study the marvels that were all about him.
But there is an end to all things, and the course which each of these young men was pursuing was changed when an order from their king called upon them to return and render an account of their doings. So they set out for the gate by which they had entered, and as soon as they had passed through this the first of the three—he who had thought only of present enjoyment—was overcome by the change of air. He had left the garden, to the fruit of which he had become so accustomed; his strength left him, and he sank to the ground and expired.
The second one struggled along, staggering beneath the weight of treasure he had gathered, the thought of enjoying which helped him to forget his weariness. But as soon as he had passed the gate the men on guard took from him all of the spoil, leaving him wretched, despairing and unhappy.
The third youth, however, reached the gate and passed through it in a happy frame of mind. He was sure that now he would find the master gardener, and be able to express his gratitude to him for the marvels he had seen and studied. He was welcomed by the guards, who were pleased to congratulate him upon the way in which he had listened to and heeded their good advice and counsel.
The youth, whose treasure had been taken from him, drew near to the court. He was so weary that he could scarcely drag himself along. He was changed too, so that those who had formerly known him did not recognize him now. When he claimed relationship to the king they laughed and jeered at him. He insisted upon entering the palace, but instead of being allowed to do this he was thrown into prison.
But how different was the reception of the third young man! Many of the courtiers went out to greet him, and accompanied him to the king's presence. His Majesty rejoiced at his return, and although he knew all that had happened since he left the court, he asked him to tell his own story.
The youth told the king all about the wonderful garden, and said that it was his great desire to meet the master of so enchanting a place, and to express to him his thanks for the great pleasure that had been his while living in such a paradise.
"Your wish shall be granted," said the king. "I am the master of the garden, and rule it from here through my ministers. There is no living or growing thing there that is not carefully watched, not even a blade of grass."
And now the young man understood that which had before been a mystery to him, and the love and gratitude he had always felt for his master grew greater. The king commended him for his good conduct and for the manner in which he had acted upon the advice given by the three guards, and as a reward raised him to a position of power and honor.