Once upon a time, in a kingdom that had once been beautiful and thriving, there ruled a man known as King Baby. Though he was a grown man, the nickname suited him perfectly, for he ruled with the petulance and selfishness of a spoiled child. Ever since King Baby ascended to the throne, the kingdom had suffered under his tyranny.
The lands, once green and bountiful, were now withered and barren. Trees that used to bear fruit had begun to die. Flowers no longer bloomed, and the ground, which had once yielded rich harvests, barely provided enough to feed the people. The rivers ran shallow, and even the animals seemed to vanish. Worst of all, the joy and laughter of the people had disappeared, replaced by a heavy gloom that hung over the kingdom like a dark cloud.
But King Baby didn’t care. He sat upon his golden throne, growing fatter and more indulgent by the day, feasting on the best foods while his people starved. He ordered his servants to gather all the finest fruits, the choicest meats, and the freshest vegetables for his own table, leaving the rest of the kingdom with scraps. He hoarded the kingdom’s resources, draining it dry without a second thought.
The people, once vibrant and full of life, grew sad and weary. They no longer smiled at one another as they passed in the streets. Their eyes were dull, their backs bent from the weight of their burdens. Yet King Baby noticed none of this. All he saw was his overflowing plate and his expanding wealth.
For ten long years, King Baby’s greed and bloated ego drained the kingdom of life. And then, one day, a new threat emerged. A neighboring king, one who was known for his strength and wisdom, set his eyes on King Baby’s weakened kingdom. This new king had a mighty army, well-trained soldiers, and strong horses. His lands were fertile, and his people loyal. He knew it would take little effort to claim King Baby’s crumbling kingdom for himself.
When word of the threat reached King Baby’s ears, he flew into a panic. For the first time in years, he realized that his throne was in danger. He issued frantic edicts, demanding that every able-bodied man in the kingdom take up arms and defend the land. He held town hall meetings, ordered his soldiers to put up flyers, and spread the word that every man must join the fight to save the kingdom.
But the people were unmoved. After years of being neglected, robbed, and left to suffer, they no longer cared what happened to the kingdom—or to their king. When King Baby gathered the men of the kingdom at the palace to give them their marching orders, the men did something shocking.
They sat down.
King Baby, red-faced and sputtering, demanded to know why they weren’t preparing for battle. The men looked at one another and shrugged. They had no desire to fight for a king who had never fought for them. They had no reason to defend a kingdom that had brought them only misery.
King Baby threw the tantrum of all tantrums. He stomped his feet, punched the air, and screamed that they were ungrateful traitors. He threatened to throw them in the dungeon, to take away what little they had left. But no matter how much he raged, the men stayed seated, their arms crossed and their faces grim.
When the new king’s army finally arrived at the kingdom’s gates, the townspeople didn’t resist. In fact, they welcomed the invading forces. They parted ways, opening a clear path to the palace, allowing the new king to march straight to King Baby’s throne without a single drop of blood being shed.
King Baby, seeing that his own people had abandoned him, was furious. He called them all sorts of names—traitors, cowards, treacherous—but the people remained silent, indifferent to his rage.
In a last, desperate act of cowardice, King Baby fled the kingdom. He gathered what little he could carry, saddled a horse, and rode away into the night, leaving behind the ruins of a once-great land.
The new king, upon taking the throne, immediately set about restoring the kingdom. He planted new trees, tended to the crops, and gave the people hope once more. Slowly but surely, life returned to the land. Flowers bloomed, the rivers flowed strong, and the people began to smile again. They greeted each other in the streets, and the dark cloud that had hung over the kingdom for so long began to lift.
As for King Baby? He wandered the lands, aimless and alone, a shadow of his former self. He never found another throne, and no kingdom would ever let him rule again.
And so, the lesson of King Baby was learned: a ruler who cares only for himself will always lose the love of his people. But a king who rules with wisdom, fairness, and kindness will always be remembered, long after his reign is over.
And the kingdom lived happily ever after.
The end 🕊️
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