The king of certain country had a treasurer called Amrit. Amrit was a very good treasurer and very honest. The king trusted him, until one day someone told the king that Amrit was not so honest as he seems. "For" said the informer, "he has a treasure hidden in his cellar."
The king knew that Amrit had no money of his own and he could hardly have saved enough from his pay to make a treasure. How then had he come by this treasure? The king said he would look into this matter.
The king came to Amrit's house. When the treasurer saw the king he came out and bowing low said, "What can I do for Your Mesjesty?"
"I hear you have a treasure hidden in your cellar." The king came straight to the point. "I must see it and you must tell me how you got it."
"Certainly, Your Mejesty," replied Amrit, and led the way down to the cellar. There was a window in the cellar and by the light from that the king could see that in the corner of the room were some rough clothes, a shepherd's stick and a flute. There was nothing else in the room.
"But this is not my treasure," said the king.
"No, Your Majesty, but it is mine," replied Amrit. "Your Majesty may remember that when you found me I was a poor shepherd boy. You brought me here and gave me a big house and a good salary. But it has not made me any happier. It has only meant that I have had to bear part of your burden. When I am especially weighed down by worries I come down here, I put on these rough clothes and take the shepherd's stick in my hand and play on the flute the happy songs I used to play when I was a shepherd boy and I took through the window at the lovely meadows yonder and I feel I am back to those days when I was not a treasurer but a king."
"A king! How?" asked his Majesty.
"Yes Sire," continued Amrit, "for then the sun shone for me even more than for your Majesty, who have to live in a great palace; the meadows blossomed for me more than for you who never walk on them; the birds sang for me much more sweetly than your caged birds can never sing for you. I had enough food to eat and clothes to wear. No wonder I spent all day singing songs of love and praise of God who gave me all this. Can you say I was less well off than a king?"
"No!" answered the king, "you were even better off than a king who has so many worries and fears. I envy your treasure, my friend."
