Pearl of Wisdom

“Everyone keeps saying, ‘Your Majesty, you’re most unwise,’ ‘Your Majesty, you must learn some wisdom,’ Your Majesty this, Your Majesty that,” Prince Arnil said petulantly. “I don’t know why they say that I’m not wise. I am wise. Aren’t I?”

Idraz, the young courtier closest to the prince, looked up from the book he’d been reading and smiled. “There’s an easy way to find out,  and to make you wiser,” he said. “I found this the other day.” He pulled a pearl out of his pocket, an exceptionally beautiful one, smooth and mysterious, and glowing as if a calm sunrise were captured within it. “I’ve heard that there isn’t one like it in the whole palace.”

“I’ve always wanted on of those,” Prince Arnil said, as excitable as Idraz often was. “Could I buy it from you?”

“Arnie, you know I’d do anything for you, but I’m afraid I can’t sell it,” Idraz explained. “I’m planning to give it to my girlfriend.”

“Oh, come on. I’ll give you any amount for it. You could buy whatever you liked for her with the money.”

“No, no,” Idraz said, smiling. ”I want to give her this.”

“Come on. I’ll give you enough money to buy one of those expensive sets of earrings—I thought you said she liked those.”

“Yes, but I’ll get them for her some other time. This is exactly what I want to give her.”

“There must be some price for them.”

“None, Arnie.”

Arnil persisted, but Idraz absolutely wouldn’t sell it. Prince Arnil just didn’t understand. That is, not until Idraz tossed the pearl to him, with a “Catch. The lesson is this, my prince: there are some things you can’t buy with money. Keep it to remind you of that.” He winked. “It’s a pearl of wisdom.”