NOBODY CAN SEE YOU
Once upon a time, there was a wise and just king who ruled over a vast kingdom. He had only one son, the prince, whom he loved dearly. The king, however, knew that love alone could not make his son a good ruler. He wanted the young prince to become wise, humble, and capable before inheriting the throne.
One night, the king called his son to his chamber. The prince was surprised to see his father awake at such an hour. With a serious expression, the king said, “From this moment onward, you are no longer a prince. You will not inherit my throne. Take off your royal clothes and ornaments.”
The prince was stunned. Before he could speak, the king ordered his guards to remove the prince’s royal attire and dress him in old, torn clothes. Then he commanded, “Take him in a chariot to the outskirts of the kingdom. Leave him there and do not allow him to return.”
The order was obeyed.
The prince, confused and heartbroken, found himself alone in a strange city where no one knew him. His royal life was gone in an instant. The people who saw his tattered clothes assumed he was a beggar. Some gave him scraps of food; others dropped a few coins in his bowl. With no other choice, the prince began to live as a beggar.
Days turned into months, and months into years. Over time, he forgot that he had ever been a prince. Begging became his routine, and the proud, confident prince was now a humble man who lived on the charity of others.
One scorching afternoon, as he begged on the roadside, a royal chariot stopped in front of him. The beggar cried louder, hoping someone would take pity on him. To his surprise, a man stepped down from the chariot and walked directly toward him.
“Your father, the king, is very old and on his deathbed,” said the man. “He wishes to see you and make you his successor.”
At that moment, something changed within the beggar. The years of humiliation and hardship seemed to melt away. His posture straightened, his eyes regained their spark, and his voice carried the confidence of royalty once more. Though his clothes were still torn, he no longer looked like a beggar—he looked like a prince.
The same people who had once ignored him now bowed respectfully and offered help. But the prince paid no attention. He stepped into the chariot with dignity and asked to be taken to the palace. On the way, he stopped to bathe and dress in fine clothes, shoes, and ornaments.
When he finally stood before his father, he bowed deeply and said, “Father, why did you send me away so suddenly all those years ago? And why have you called me back now?”
The old king smiled faintly and said, “My father did the same to me. I wanted you to learn a truth that cannot be taught by words. A prince or a beggar—these are merely roles the world gives you. They can change in an instant. But what you truly are lies deep within you. It is something only you can see. No one else can see it.”
The prince bowed his head, understanding at last the lesson his father had hidden within his cruelty—a lesson about identity, strength, and the true self that remains unshaken by the changing faces of fortune.
