The Day the Sun Did Not Rise

King Gobuchand ordered the river’s course to be blocked because it flowed eastward. He held animosity towards the king who ruled the lands to the east. “Why should we be foolish enough to allow the enemy to irrigate his lands with our river?” he asked. His flatterers claimed that the king demonstrated great wisdom by halting the flow.

As the monsoon arrived, the water level of the river rose higher and higher, unable to flow downstream. The capital found itself under threat of flooding.

In the palace, drummers and flutists played their instruments at sunrise to wake the king. However, the minister secretly instructed them to begin playing two hours before dawn.

The king awoke and summoned the minister, asking, “Why is the sun not seen?”

“My lord! Because we have stopped the river from flowing into our neighboring kingdom, the enemies have halted the sun from rising. Since they are to the east, it is their privilege to do so,” explained the minister.

“In that case, release the water,” ordered the king.