Once upon a time, there lived a king. His palace was surrounded by a lake with a garden around it. Many golden swans lived in the lake. The king would go for a walk in the garden every morning and collect the golden feathers shed by the swans. One day, when the king came to the garden, a beautiful bird sat on his shoulder and tweeted melodiously. Mesmerised by the bird’s song, the king said, “Dear bird, stay here forever.” The bird was jealous of the golden swans. She lied, “These swans have threatened to kill me if I live here.” The king ordered his guards to kill the golden swans. When the swans saw the guards approaching, they took flight. Flying high, they said, “O King! You are foolish to have believed a stranger. Goodbye!” By the time the king realised his mistake the swans had flown far away.
The Golden Swans
