Two Kings on a Narrow Road

The king of Benares tried to rule fairly. He wanted to know his faults as well as his strengths, but people at court mostly praised him. He decided to listen beyond the palace walls.

With only his driver, he traveled through the countryside in a simple chariot. He asked questions in villages and listened patiently. Across the boundary, King Mallika had begun a similar journey through his own kingdom.

Their chariots met on a narrow road with steep banks on either side. There was no room to pass together. Both drivers stopped their horses, and the peaceful journey became a difficult little problem.

“Make way for my king,” one driver demanded. The other gave the same answer. Neither carriage moved, and neither king’s grand title made the narrow road even a finger’s width wider.

They compared the kings’ ages, lands, and riches, hoping one difference would settle the matter. Everything seemed equal. At last, the driver from Benares suggested asking how each ruler dealt with other people.

Mallika’s driver said his king answered strength with strength and anger with anger. He praised this as firmness. The other driver listened carefully, then described a ruler who tried a different response.

“My king answers anger with calm,” he explained. “He meets dishonesty with truth and selfishness with generosity.” The road grew quiet. Mallika considered how those choices might change a quarrel instead of repeating it.

Mallika asked his driver to help make space. Carefully, the driver guided their horses backward to a wider patch and moved the chariot aside. The king watched patiently while the other travelers prepared to pass.

The king of Benares thanked them and continued without boasting. Mallika smiled, noticing that nobody had lost dignity by making room. The simple road problem had taught him more than another flattering speech.

When Mallika returned home, he tried calm answers more often. His strength remained, but he used it differently. On that narrow road, a little space had opened a much larger way of thinking.