King Yunan suffered from a terrible leprosy that no physician could cure. One day, a wise man named Sage Duban arrived, promising to heal the King without ointments or potions. He fashioned a hollow polo mallet filled with secret herbs and instructed the King to play until he sweated. As the King exercised, the medicine absorbed through his palms, and he was miraculously cured. Grateful, Yunan made Duban his closest advisor. However, the King’s Vizier, consumed by jealousy, whispered that a man with such power could easily assassinate the King. Despite Duban's loyalty, Yunan succumbed to paranoia and sentenced the Sage to death. Before his execution, Duban gifted the King a magical book, claiming its pages held great wisdom. As Yunan flicked through the stuck pages, licking his finger to turn them, he realized the paper was coated in poison. The King died in agony, a victim of his own ingratitude and the Sage's final, silent revenge.
Ingratitude and groundless suspicion against those who help us will ultimately lead to our own ruin.
Questions about this story
What is the moral of The Tale of King Yunan?
The moral is that those who repay kindness with cruelty or groundless suspicion will eventually face justice. It warns that envy can blind a leader to the truth, leading to their own downfall.
How did Sage Duban cure King Yunan?
He used a clever method of transdermal medicine. He hid herbs inside a hollow polo mallet, so when the King played and sweated, the medicine was absorbed through his skin.
Who is the antagonist in The Tale of King Yunan?
The primary antagonist is the King's jealous Vizier. He manipulated the King's fears and convinced him that Sage Duban was a spy intent on killing him.
How did the King die in the story?
The King died from poison after Sage Duban's execution. He licked his fingers to turn the pages of a 'magical' book Duban left him, not realizing the pages were laced with a lethal toxin.
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Good night.
