The King’s Folly
The tale of the glass tower
In a time long forgotten, there lived a King. He wasn’t the wisest King, but he cared for his people and was rarely cruel. The King surrounded himself with wise counsel, although he did not always heed their advice.
On a day like many others, when nothing of great importance was happening, the King went for a ride. The King enjoyed riding in a field that spread out treeless as far as the eye could see. After riding for a while, the King stopped and dismounted. He looked around. In a fit of whimsy, the King decided to build a tower made entirely out of stained glass. It would stand in the exact location he stood and would be a marvel.
Upon returning to the castle, the King called his advisors into the great hall to seek their counsel. After telling them of his plan, the King waited for their response.
The counselors looked at each other in disbelief. The elder counselor then spoke.
“Your Majesty, the idea of a stained-glass tower is quite imaginative. But I fear it would be far too fragile to withstand intense weather.”
The King nodded but did not speak.
Another counselor spoke out.
“Your Highness, what would be the purpose of this tower? Surely, it has no defensive or practical use, and it would be painstaking to construct.”
Again, the King nodded but did not speak.
A third counselor spoke his mind.
“My King, stained glass is difficult and expensive to make. The cost of such a tower would be high. And the result would be a tower easily destroyed by enemies or nature.”
Once more, the King nodded without speaking.
Despite the counsel of his counselors, the King would not be deterred. So, artisans and builders across the land were called into service to construct the tower.
The project required extreme care and took considerable time to complete. But when it was finished, it was a wonder indeed. Sunlight passing through the tower washed the surrounding fields with every imaginable color. People came from far off to see the marvelous sight.
Soon, though, people began calling the tower The King’s Folly, for it was surely a waste of time, money, and stained glass. Locals began wagering on when it would fall.
One day, a great hail storm came and destroyed the tower, reducing it to a pile of broken glass. The King was devastated.
After viewing the devastation, the King returned to his castle and gathered his advisers in the great hall. He asked them for their counsel.
“Your Majesty, I warned you that the tower would be far too fragile to withstand intense weather.”
The King nodded but did not speak.
Another counselor spoke out.
“Your Highness, as I said, it was only a matter of time. This is a hard lesson learned.”
Again, the King nodded but did not speak.
The third counselor spoke.
“My King, against my advice, you constructed the tower. Now you see the error of that decision for yourself.”
Once more, the King nodded without speaking.
Feeling low, the King asked for a cup of wine. When a servant boy brought him the wine, the King asked the boy, “Speak honestly, lad. What did you think of the tower?”
The boy looked at the King and replied, “It was the most wonderful thing I ever saw, my King. I was mighty sad to see it fall. I will remember it always.”
The King smiled a kind smile and said, “All my counselors were eager to point out their correct warnings and my foolishness in building it. You alone didn’t condemn me but shared my grief. You will no longer be a servant in my castle but will become a knight. Let us go have some waffles.”
Waffle-riffic!
Great reminder that “I told you so” is not a helpful response.
Honesty is the best policy.