King Rabbit
The Kingdom’s Dilemma
In the kingdom of Scotland, everyone was sad. The king sighed, the queen cried, and the courtiers all wore long faces. The trouble was the absence of an heir to the throne. The king and queen had hoped for a son, but no son was born to them, and now they were getting old.
A Proposal for Succession
“Your Majesty,” said the Prime Minister one day, “I know it is a painful subject, but it is time you chose your successor. The people are asking who the next ruler will be. Surely there are plenty of worthy young men in the kingdom to choose from.”
The people did not want to be ruled by a strange foreigner, nor did they wish for several rivals quarrelling over the throne after the old king’s death. The king understood this and, to prevent discord, decided to heed his Prime Minister’s advice. He sent his heralds out with a proclamation that summoned all the young men from the most noble families to his palace. There, they would face three tests to determine who would be the most suitable heir to the throne.
The Arrival of Contestants
On the appointed day, the first to arrive was Prince Camillo, the king’s third cousin and a handsome young man. The king thought Camillo would make an excellent heir. Camillo, gazing at himself in the mirror, also believed he would make a fine king. His family was rather poor, and he thought that being heir to the throne would secure him a substantial income. Once he became king, he planned to increase taxes significantly, hoping to amass enough wealth to build a larger palace. “The king is too soft,” he mused. “I shall increase all the taxes and make the people work hard. They will call me Camillo the Magnificent and bow in the streets as I pass.”
The Unexpected Contestant
Soon, everyone had arrived, and a great crowd gathered in the square outside the palace to watch the proceedings. At a signal, all the young men lined up before the king as a herald called out their names. First was Prince Camillo, followed by others in order of importance. Last in line was a beautiful and dignified white rabbit, evidently of a rare species. The crowd erupted in laughter and applause as the rabbit strutted proudly toward the king.
The Chancellor attempted to kick the rabbit away, but with great dignity, the rabbit responded, “It is useless to try to make me go away. I come from a highly respected family, which no one can doubt upon seeing me, and I am twenty-one years old. Therefore, I have every right to participate in the competition.” The king, taken aback, could raise no objections and assumed a simple rabbit could not pass his three tests, so he signalled for the competition to continue.
The First Test: The Race
The first test involved a race to determine who was the fittest among the competitors. At a signal from the king, they sprinted off. Prince Camillo quickly pulled ahead, confident he would win. However, he neglected the little white rabbit running alongside him. As they approached the finish line, the rabbit surged ahead, crossing it several yards before Camillo.
The Second Test: The Duel
The second test was a duel, and since only Prince Camillo and the rabbit remained, they would compete against each other. Camillo, frustrated by the rabbit’s earlier victory, believed he would win in this test. He brandished his long sword and lunged at the rabbit, who anticipated the move and jumped aside, stabbing Camillo in the leg with his short sword and bringing him down.
The Final Test: Knowledge
Unwilling for a rabbit to inherit the throne, the king ordered the third test to commence, which evaluated knowledge. The wisest men in the land posed learned questions to both Camillo and the rabbit. Camillo, as empty-headed as he was vain, could not answer even the simplest questions and became quite flustered. Meanwhile, the little rabbit surprised everyone with his wisdom, answering each question flawlessly. The king had no choice but to declare the rabbit as the rightful heir.
The Transformation
Suddenly, a great clap of thunder sounded, and the sun vanished behind a dark cloud. This lasted only moments, after which the sun returned, the cloud dispersed, and with it, the little white rabbit had vanished. In his place knelt a handsome young man before the king.
“Sire,” said the young man, “I am the second son of a king. A magician transformed me into a rabbit, and I could only be freed when a king proclaimed me the heir to his throne.”
A New Era Begins
The crowd cheered wildly, having grown fond of the young man. After some time, when the old king passed away, the young prince ascended the throne, and he was joyfully known as King Rabbit.