Love Is The Answer - written by Alfred (a short story for kids)

Once upon a time in a land far far away there lived two kings. One’s name was Duncan while the other one’s name was Victor.   King Duncan was the King of the people of Tish and King Victor was the King of the people of Ling.    

The two Kings were at war and had been fighting for years. No one seemed to  be winning the battle but lives were lost on both sides everyday.   

King Victor had gotten very old and it was clear that he would soon be leaving the land of the living. He was already too old to be leading his people much less leading them in times of war, and it was also clear that he would have to appoint a new ruler to sit on the throne soon.   

King Victor had six sons. Which of his sons is he going to pick; was the question on everyone’s mind in his castle but no one ever spoke about it out in the open. But in any case everyone knew in their minds that King Victor was going to choose his first son, the brave Prince Casper. He was handsome, strong and well read. He already had a record of successfully leading a few major  battles. If any one was fit for the throne it was him.   

The faithful day for King Victor to choose a successor finally came and he had ordered for everyone in the kingdom to be gathered.    

To every one’s surprise, King Victor choose his youngest son to be his successor.    

His youngest son, Prince Placid was a gentle and quiet soul. He had never gone to war ever in his life and he read books that at the time was strange to people in the land of far far away. One of such books is the bible.   

No one could believe that the King had chosen Prince Placid; but the King’s decision was the King’s decision and there was nothing anyone could do about it.   

Days later, King Victor died and Prince Placid became King Placid.   

The first thing King Placid’s advisers wanted to know was how be planned to continue and also win the war against King Duncan who had withstood his father and his army for so many years.   

King Placid simply answered, “With peace and love.”    

They taught he must have flipped but no one dared speak because he was the King.   

King Placid’s first act was to order the soldiers to dress in non-battle gear and then march to King Duncan’s land carrying all sorts of foods and yummy treats to give to the people of Tish (King Duncan’s kingdom). King’s Placid told them that he is doing this because the bible tells us that we should love every one for God loves everyone. And that the people of King Duncan’s kingdom have suffered just as much as the people of his kingdom because of the war.   

King’s Placid’s people taught he was crazy and extremely unworthy to be King but there was nothing they could do, he was their King so they had to carry out his orders.   

When the people of King Duncan’s kingdom saw their enemies bringing them food that they really needed, they were surprised. They taught it was some kind of trick so they asked the soldiers of King Placid who were bringing the food to taste it first so that they could be certain that it is not poisoned. Minutes later, the soldiers of King Placid where eating happily with the people of King Duncan’s kingdom.    

When King Duncan heard of this he was outraged. He did not care about the fact that his enemies had brought his people food. He was just furious because his people and King Placid’s people had sat down together and eaten together. 

King Duncan immediately got his soldiers together and ordered them to attack King Placid’s kingdom.   When news of this reached King Placid, his advisers where thinking that surely King Placid would surely be regretting his earlier decision right now. 

However, to their surprise King Placid gave an order that none of the soldiers of the  army that is about to attack them was to be hurt. Now his advisers taught that he had definitely flipped but what could they do, he was the King.    

King Placid then added that his soldiers should build an impenetrable wall of fire between the approaching soldiers of King Duncan and his own people.The fire was to be so hot and so thick that none of the enemy soldiers would dare think of  running through it.    

It was done as King Placid had said, and so it was impossible for King Duncan’s soldiers to cross through to harm King Placid’s people. King Duncan’s people also observed that none of King Placid’s people where interested in hurting them. After they got tired of trying in vain they had to return to their land. King Duncan was angry when he received the news that his people could do nothing. He just sat in his chair and fumed.    

Meanwhile, back in the land of Ling, King Placid gathered his soldiers to together. The advisers wondered what it would be this time.    

King Placid told and his soldiers to carry more free food to King Duncan’s people. They weren’t to wear their solider’s uniform and they should allow any civilians that wanted to go with them to go with them but carrying food for King Duncan’s people too.   

King Duncan’s people where shocked to see King Placid’s people coming with food. They couldn’t understand it. Away minutes later they where all eating together like one people – they were all eating together like no such thing as a war existed between them.   

When King Duncan heard of this he was so furious that he matched out there and ordered that every one from King Placid’s kingdom present should be killed.    

Surprisingly, King Duncan’s own people protested against him. They said that all he wants is war war war. They said that he’s only thinking about himself and not them, his people. They told King Duncan that the new king of Ling, King Placid doesn’t wan’t war and quite frankly they are glad that at least one king is tired of the war. The war had taken up a lot of their resources and is the major reason while many of them lack food. Besides they added, they had just made new friends with some of the people of King Placid’s kingdom that were present and they had to admit that peacefully eating together sure makes them wish they would do it forever and not have to return to the reality that they should be at war in the morning.   

“WHAT???”, King Duncan cried. “THIS IS TREASON. There would be war. There is a war and There would always be a war until we win. But in the mean time all you traitors must die along with the people of King Placid whom you call your new best friends.”   

King Duncan had ordered that his own people who wanted the war to end peacefully to be killed.    

Well, lets just say that a few hours after that, King Duncan was beaten and chased away from his own kingdom by his own people. The people of the former King Duncan joined the people of King Placid and they became one people. Thus, the war was over. All because King Placid choose to follow the way of the bible and follow the way of peace in-spite of how irrational it looked at times, he had not only ended a war but he had also gained a kingdom. Thanks be to Jesus.

THE END.