Value Of A Kingdom

There once was a king who was very proud of his vast kingdom. He honestly thought that his kingdom was the greatest and biggest any one had ever had before.
One day a wise man came to his palace. He asked the king, “Oh king! What is your kingdom worth?” The king looked at him incredulously. How was it possible to evaluate a kingdom such as his? The wise man repeated his question, but all that the king could say was, “I do not understand, Sir.”
The wise man looked at him seriously and asked, “Oh king! If you were to be stranded in a desert and did not get food or drink for many days; if you were dying of thirst and some one offered to sell you a glass of water, what would you pay for it?” The king said, “I’d give half my kingdom for it!”
The wise man continued, “If you were very, very ill and were going to die… If some one were to give you a life saving medicine, what would you give in return for it?” The king said, “I’d give half my kingdom for it.”
The wise old man smiled knowingly and asked, “Well! If all that your kingdom is worth is a glass of water and some medicine, what are you so vain about?”
Surely, all worldly comforts and acquisitions are valueless, as compared to the value of life. All that matters is the character and goodness that one is able to build during human life. It is the value of good deeds done by us that are the only thing whose credit is carried forward with us when we leave this world and step into the court of God.