An Inspiring Bedtime Moral Story to Read with Your Children

“Once upon a long ago lived a king with three sons, Titus, Marcus, and John. Day after day, the king felt himself becoming older, weaker, and more tired. So he decided the time had come to step down as king. He wanted to spend his remaining time doing things he enjoyed much more than being a king. Growing his orchids and caring for them was his favorite pastime.”

“To tell you all the truth, it had been quite a while since the king had been tired of being a king and doing all the things that kings must do. Being a king is, in fact, not as pleasant as you might imagine. Most of the things a king must do are boring and no fun. For example, a king must speak with fawning ambassadors from other kingdoms who always bow and scrape for no reason. A king must also attend ceremonies and events of many kinds, where speakers talk at length about boring things, and the king has to do his best not to fall asleep. Once, he fell asleep in the middle of one of those long pointless speeches. His head had begun to lol so much so that his crown had fallen off and rolled loudly on the ground to his and everyone else’s utter embarrassment.”

“The list of things he could no longer bear grew longer every day. For example, he could no longer stand court dances. As king, he had an obligation to open the dances, so he had to wear very uncomfortable dancing shoes that squeezed his feet and caused him blisters. The sumptuous court banquets with a thousand courses were no longer for him. At his age, he only wanted hot broth and a salad. His crown had become heavy to carry on his tired head and often gave him a tremendously stiff neck.”

“For all these reasons, the king was eager to withdraw from public life, but he was hesitant because he didn’t know which of his three sons would be worthy of wearing the crown. He was tormented by one thought: between Titus, Marcus, and John, which would be the best king, the most loving, and just for the people?

“So he decided to put his three sons to the test. He summoned them and told them, ‘Now you have grown up. The time has come for you to experience the world.’ So the king gave a bag to each son and told them, ‘In this bag, there is enough money to travel for an entire year. Go out, leave the castle walls behind, know the world, and have your own experiences. At the end of a year, you will return. Then, you will tell me what you have done during the year and how you spent the money I gave you."

“In his wisdom, the king knew that how his sons would spend their money would certainly show him who was the most worthy of becoming the next king. The months went by, and the king waited anxiously for an entire year to know what had happened to his three sons. Finally, the three sons returned to the castle, each with their own story to tell to their father, who, in the meantime, had become more tired and older.”

“The first brother to speak was Titus. He told his father that he had traveled to many far countries, visited many beautiful castles, and attended many court dances and banquets. Then he placed, at his father's feet, all the precious gifts he had received from the kings and emperors whose kingdoms he had visited.”

“The second son, Marcus, was the most adventurous of the three. He embarked on a sailing ship and sailed through treacherous waters, facing storms, giant waves, and ferocious winds. He visited remote lands, fought pirates, and battled sea monsters. In his travels, between one adventure and another, he also started to trade silks and spices and succeeded in accumulating great wealth. He returned to his old father much wealthier than he had been when he left.”

“John, the third brother, told his father that he had spent the entire year traveling within the kingdom up to the borders of the forgotten lands. He met many people, listening to their needs and problems. He gave all his money to the poor and needy he met along the way. Spending all his time with the less fortunate, he developed many ideas about how to help them. Having spent all his money helping others, he returned to the castle without a penny in his pocket, as poor as a church mouse.”

“The king listened with great attention to his sons’ stories. And then, he made a decision. It would be John, the one entitled to be the next king, for his compassion and kindness towards others. The king felt relieved and happy because he knew that John was the best choice he could make for his people. He could finally retire. The time had finally come to wear comfortable slippers all the time, to have warm broths and lettuce salads, and to enjoy his passion, growing orchids. So John became king. He changed the kingdom for the better. He proved to be a compassionate and enlightened king who always put his people’s needs first. As a result, everyone lived in harmony, hunger, and poverty did not exist, and everyone respected and loved the new king. It was the happiest kingdom that had ever existed!”

The moral of this story

The greatest wealth in the world is not gold; it is not diamonds. The greatest wealth is love. When you grow up, this world will lead you to believe that it is important to be rich, to have expensive and elegant clothes, to have powerful cars or the latest cell phone model. Remember that pursuing wealth will make your heart hard and cold. You will be miserable, and you will make others miserable too. If, instead, you live with love and compassion, with a pure and sincere heart, you will be happy, and you will make the people around you happy as King John did in the story.

Don’t seek wealth; seek love, and you will find happiness.

THIS STORY IS AN EXCERPT TAKEN FROM OUR BOOK "EMILY AND SERAPHIEL"

"Emily and Seraphiel” is our inspirational book for children. It helps children believe in Angels and Guardian Angels and, above all, in themselves.

You can introduce your child to the concept that various people have various religious beliefs, customs, and tales by referencing this abundance of literature. You can then get them motivational books to enable their spiritual growth.

Emily and Seraphiel - The Amazing Story of a little rascal and her Guardian Angel is an inspirational book for children that brings the reader into a world of fantasy filled with real-world uplifting teachings and morals for their personal evolution as human beings.

Spirituality is undoubtedly one of the best ways to give children a powerful tool to overcome their fears, become self-conscious of their power, and achieve their goals in life.

CHILDREN AND PARENTS LOVE THIS BOOK BECAUSE:

Children love this book because:

• it helps them overcome their fears and insecurities
• it makes them feel loved, understood and accepted
• Seraphiel is funny, a hilarious angel who knows how to make children laugh
• the angel is also very wise and gives wonderful teachings
• the book has beautiful illustrations

Parents love this book because:

• It helps children believe in Angels
• it helps children recognize the love, the care, the sacrifices that parents make to give them a good life
• it teaches children about self-confidence
• it conveys profound spiritual values in a world that seems to have forgotten them.

Available as kindle and paperback

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