The Sweetest Thing In The World

I read this story from a pocket book… But I think it is a folktale.

Once upon a time, mayroon daw isang mabait at matalinong hari. This king often wandered on the streets in disguise because he loved listening to his people’s conversations. Isang gabi, habang padaan siya sa may garden, may narinig siyang apat na dalagang nabubulungan. Nagtago siya at pinakinggan niya ang pinag-uusapan ng mga babae. Sabi ng unang babae, the sweetest thing in the world is meat, beacause according to the girl, she sees so many people come into the butcher’s shop, their mouths watering, and no one ever wastes a single bite. Ang kaso, tinawanan lamang iyon ng pangalawang babae. Ang sabi niya, meat could not compare with wine, kasi daw, marami siyang nakikitang naglalasing, natitisod, at napapahiya dahil sa kalasingan pero asahan mong bukas ay iinom pa rin ang mga iyon. Siyempre, hindi nagpatalo ‘yong pangatlong babae. Sabi niya, nonsense daw ang sagot n’ong dalawa. Nothing is as sweet as love. She said that if this were not true, then her mother would not be filled with so much joy whenever her father was near and that couples wouldn’t laugh as much while they’re in love. But the fourth woman said that love and wine and meat may be sweet but nothing in the world is as sweet as a lie. 

The king asked himself “What could be so sweet with a lie?” So he listened for more. Ang kaso, bago pa nakapagpaliwanag ‘yong huling babae, sinabi ng mga kasama niyang gabing-gabi na at kailangan na nilang umuwi. So, the king did was secretly follow the fourth young woman to where she lived.

The next morning, he sent his minister to go to the tiny gray house with a gray door and to bring the man who lived there to the palace. Noong lumitaw na sa palasyo ‘yong matandang lalaki, tinanong ng hari kung mayroon itong anak na babae. Mayroon nga raw, ang pangalan daw ay “Khalida”. Tinanong nito kung may nagawang kasalan ang anak nito. Ang sabi ng hari ay wala. Pero sinabi niyang gusto niyang makita ang anak nito. Dalhin daw nito ang anak nito kinabukasan.

The next day, the old man brought Khalida to the king. The king asked while looking at Khalida’s lovely eyes why she thought telling lies was the sweetest thing in the world. She answered, because everyone does it. There is nothing else everone does. But of course, the king begged to disagree. He told her that many people don’t lie. Khalida shook her head and insisted that everone lied. Then she told the king that even he will lie one day. But since the king thought he was thouroughly honest, he said he could not imagine that happening. To which Khalida said, Your Majesty, if you will give me a one billion pesos, in six months I will prove what i said.

Pumayag ang hari at binigyan si Khalida ng pera. Six months later, she sent a message to the king inviting him to visit the beautiful house she had built not far away. At once the king set off, taking two ministers with him. When they arrived at her ome, they stared in wonder beacause it was more beautiful than his own palace. When Khalida saw them, she explained that that was only natural because it was the house of God… But Khalida could sense that the king was hesitant in believing what she said. S she promised she was telling them the truth and that they could go inside to see for themselves she wastelling the truth. Buth she reminded them of two things: first, God reveals Himself only to one person at a time; and second, He would not reveal himself to anyone who had sinned.

So the king sent his first minister inside and told him to tell him what he saw. So, the minister entered the house of God. He thought it was indeed the house of God. He waited there but saw nothing. And so he began to worry. Paglabas niya ay nagsisisigaw siyang nakita daw niya ang Diyos sa loob. Tinanong ng hari kung ano ang sinabi ng Diyos. Sinabi niyang pinagbawalan siya ng Diyos na sabihin ang pinag-usapan ng mga ito. So the king sent his second minister inside the house. Tulad n’ong unang ministro, siempre wala rin siyang nakita kaya lumabas siya at tinanong siya ng hari, ang sabi niya ay nakita rin daw niya ang Diyos. Nagkausap daw sila pero hindi raw siya pinayagang sabihin kung ano ang pinag-usapan nila.

Then it was the king’s turn to enter the house. He was confident at first but when he came in and saw nothing, his heart sank. How could both his ministers see God and he could not? How had he sinned? He could not remember anything he had done wrong and so he felt embarrassed. He came out of the house and looked sheepishly at the two ministers and Khalida.

Tinanong siya ni Khalida kung nakita niya ang Diyos. Yumuko siya, saka sinabing ‘oo’. Khalida asked him again, and again he said ‘yes’. Khalida asked him three times, and each time he said ‘yes’. Khalida laughed and said, ‘Your majesty, God is a spirit. No one can see a spirit.’  Upon hearing that, the king admitted he had lie. Then the ministers confessed that they had, too.

So Khalida went to the king and explained that sometimes, we tell lies to save ourselves, but that he was a king and had nothing to fear from poor girl. That he must have lied because the lie itself tasted sweet…

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nice story right…