disoriented, but still not happy.
"Perhaps your majesty would be happy if he ruled the surrounding
lands and felt secure from attack," suggested the head of his army.
"For the proverb says, 'In security lies happiness.'" So his
majesty instructed his generals to go forth and conquer the
territories around him. After a preposterous quantity of noise,
smoke, blood, guts, and dying, the king found himself in possession
of jillions of acres of farms and towns and houses and cottages and
the souls of all those who lived therein. He now ruled over the
land as far as he--or even someone with good eyesight--could see in
every direction from the top of his highest tower. At any time of
day or night the king could call for the relief of a distressed
friend or the beheading of an enemy. He had absolute say over the
life or death, the happiness or suffering, of millions of people of
every rank and degree, from the most exalted noble in a seaside
mansion to the most unfortunate street urchin in a grimy and
stifling hovel. Such a thought sometimes gave the king half a
smile, but he was still not happy.
"Perhaps what the king needs is love," said the eunuch in charge of
the king's harem. "If he would marry a new variety of ever more
beautiful wives, he would perchance find happiness among them." So
the king decided to realize this scenario in three dimensions and
searched throughout his kingdom for the most desirable women he
could find. He found pretty ones and witty ones and laughing ones
and moody ones and smart ones and elegant ones and plain ones and
philosophical ones and decorated ones--women of every proportion,
size, color, personality, and talent, and he married a hundred of
them, some of whom loved him even more than those among the first
few dozen he was already married to. And the king found much
pleasure in his wives, but he was still not truly happy.
"The king will find happiness only in wisdom," said one of the
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