December 11, 2000
CYBERCOLUMN:
The prince and the beggar
___By Donna Van Cleve
___"The wise and gracious King lived in a beautiful castle high on a hill where he could view his entire kingdom. His son reigned with him, and in his son were all of the fine character traits of the King himself. He had taught his son well.
___One day they were traveling by carriage through their kingdom, stopping and listening to their subjects, for whom they had great love and compassion. As they were talking to some men fishing on the banks of a swift-running river, they noticed another man walkingperilously close to the edge of a steep embankment upriver. To their horror they watched as the unstable ground collapsed from beneath the man’s feet and plummeted him into the treacherous waters.
DONNA VAN CLEVE
___"Someone must do something!" cried the King.
___One of the men grabbed a long branch and thrust it into the path of the man bobbing up and down in the rapids, but the drowning man missed it as the waters carried him by.
___"None of us can save him – we cannot swim!" the peasants cried.
___ The Prince met his father’s eyes for the briefest moment.
___ "My son …" the King said in earnest, and no other words were spoken between them as the Prince quickly stripped himself of his jewels and fine robe.
___ "Dear Prince, he is only a common beggar! Do not risk your life for him. He is not worth it!" the peasants pleaded.
___ But the Prince dove into the water and swam quickly and determinedly toward the struggling man as the swift current carried him along. He reached the beggar and met added struggle as he tried to help him. The beggar kept fighting the prince and pulling them both under before he realized that he had to allow the Prince to carry him through the dangerous water if he wanted to live.
___ Suddenly, with a great shove the Prince pushed the beggar toward some low-lying tree limbs where he grabbed a hold and pulled himself to safety. But when the beggar turned around, he saw the Prince being carried away downriver. He broke into heaving sobs when he realized his sovereign Prince had given his life for him, a worthless beggar.
___ The King’s carriage had followed alongside the river, and the King witnessed what had happened. But he turned his head away as the river swallowed his precious son one last time. By then more people had gathered, and the King sent them to search for the body.
___ The beggar came sobbing toward the carriage and fell on his face.
___ "My life is yours," he cried. "I can never repay what your son did for me. I didn’t deserve it, but I will serve you always because of it."
___ The King looked sadly at the beggar and said, "My son didn’t have to do what he did for you, but he did it out of a heart of love for his people. I raised him that way. You may serve me, but you must let that kind of love live through you."
___ Three hours passed while waiting to hear from the search party. A woman came running up the road amidst much shouting and commotion.
___ "He’s alive! Your son is alive! We have seen the Prince on the other side of the river!" she cried.
___ The King rejoiced as he instructed the driver to take the carriage to the bridge to greet his son. And then he did something he had never done before. He opened the door and invited the beggar to join him in his carriage.
___ "You may thank my son yourself, for he is alive!" said the gracious King.
___ And the beggar took his hand.
___ Jesus spoke many parables – stories that taught lessons or helped people understand the truths of which he spoke. Writing this story has helped me understand a letter better what God has done for me through his Son. For you see, I am the beggar.
___Donna Van Cleve is director of the public library in Cotulla, a writer, wife, mother and member of First Baptist Church in Cotulla, where she is pianist.
Get printer-friendly version of this story
Send this story to a friend
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!
