Weekend Story-The Three Messengers

A king had to get an urgent message to the commander of his northern fort before sunset.

He called three messengers and handed each of them the same sealed letter.

“Leave now,” he said. “Whoever reaches first will be rewarded.”

The first was the fastest runner in the palace. He took the main road and ran hard.

The second knew a shorter route through the forest. He slipped off the main road and disappeared into the trees.

The third was older and slower. Before leaving, he asked the stable master which horse posts still had fresh animals. He checked whether the old bridge was open. He carried the temple seal that would let him pass the fort gate without being stopped.

The courtiers laughed.

“He is wasting time before he has even started,” one of them said.

By evening, the commander had the message. It came from the third man.

The fastest runner arrived much later. He had been stuck at the market crossing, where carts had jammed the road for hours.

The second came in after him, covered in mud. The rains had turned the forest shortcut into a swamp.

The next morning, the minister who had laughed asked the king, “Did you know the old man would win?”

“No,” said the king. “But he was the only one who asked what could go wrong before he set out. The other two trusted the road. He prepared for the journey.”