A story for kids, just for fun. This parable is not connected to a particular lectionary text, but you can probably think of some that are well represented by it (such as Matthew 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-40 and Luke 22:24-30).
In the back-corner of the royal palace, there lived a mouse named Bob. From that back-corner he could see everything that the King did. He could watch the King’s Son playing ball. He got to watch all the ceremonies and parades, and he could hear all the King’s important decisions. Bob loved living in the back-corner.
Other mice lived in the royal palace too, but they weren’t like Bob. The other mice were show-offs, and were always trying to get themselves noticed. During the King’s solemn ceremonies, they would run out between peoples’ feet. They would drop from flags and banners. They would pop out of gifts presented to the King. And the ladies would scream, and the gentlemen would yell, and the King would call out, “Guards!” And the guards would swat the mice with brooms.
The other mice thought themselves very important. During the King’s parades, the other mice would hang out coach windows and dance on cannons. They would swing on horses’ tails and climb ladies bright dresses. They would wave from gentlemen’s hats and pose on the soldiers’ pikes. And the ladies would scream, and the gentlemen would yell, and the King would call out, “Guards!” And the guards would swat the mice with brooms.
The other mice were proud, and thought everybody should know their opinions. During the King’s important decisions they would whisper their opinions from behind the King’s throne. They would shout them through the bugler’s horn. And they would chase away those they did not agree with. And the ladies would scream, and the gentlemen would yell, and the King would call out, “Guards!” And the guards would swat the mice with brooms.
Bob was not like the other mice. He was content just humbly living in the back-corner of the King’s palace. He didn’t need to get noticed. He didn’t think himself important. And he certainly didn’t feel that everybody had to know his opinions. Bob was just happy knowing that he lived in the palace with the King and the King’s Son.
Then one day a ball came bouncing right into the back-corner, and it stopped right in front of where Bob had been sitting and drinking cheese tea. And right behind the ball the King’s Son came running to get it. Bob stood up very straight, bowed very politely and very deeply, and said, “Your Holiness.” The King’s Son looked right at Bob and smiled.
Then Bob stood even straighter, and asked very politely, “Would your Holiness like a cup of cheese tea?”
“No thank you,” the King’s Son answered, “but I would like my ball.”
“Your wish is my command,” Bob answered. Then he pushed hard against the ball and rolled it back to the King’s Son.
“Thank you,” the King’s Son said as he ran off to play with the ball.
“It’s a pleasure to serve the King’s Son,” Bob called after him.
Not long after that, the King grew tired of everyone showing off, thinking themselves important, and trying to push their opinions onto him – especially the mice who were doing these things. So the King decided that he would honor the most humble person in his kingdom. His advisors immediately suggested themselves as the most humble. The soldiers suggested themselves. The ladies and the gentlemen all suggested themselves. And all the mice fell over each other suggesting that they were the most humble in the kingdom.
The King’s Son climbed up on his Father’s lap, and said, “I know who is the most humble creature in all the kingdom. He lives in that back corner!” And he pointed right at Bob! When Bob saw that the King, his Son, all the advisors and soldiers, all the ladies and gentlemen, and all the other mice were looking straight at him, he blushed bright red!
But Bob stood up very straight, then bowed very politely and very deeply. And then in a very shaky, timid voice Bob said, “Begging your pardon, your Holiness. Have I done something?”
“Yes, come here,” the King answered.
Bob nearly fainted! The King was speaking to him! Bob’s knees started knocking. His hands shook. And he blushed such a bright red that he looked like he had caught on fire!
Bob had never left the back-corner before, and certainly had never stood before the King. He wanted to obey the King’s command, but he was so overwhelmed he couldn’t move. It was like his feet were glued to the floor. But then the King’s Son jumped down and ran over to Bob. He took Bob’s hand, and led him to the King.
Bob was shaking so hard that he could not stand up straight. He tried to bow to the King, but he was so weak he almost fell over. He tried to ask the King’s forgiveness, but every time he tried to speak all that came out of his mouth was a very weak, “Squeak.”
Every eye in the kingdom was looking right at Bob. Every creature in the kingdom wished they were in his place. But all that Bob wished, was that he could disappear into his mouse-hole in the back-corner.
“You are right, my Son,” the King said. “This is indeed the most humble creature in the whole kingdom.” Then the King stood up and declared that all might hear, “For now on this humble mouse will lead all of my ceremonies and ride in the place of honor in all of my parades!”
Bob could hardly believe his ears! It couldn’t be! He had to speak! He had to say something! And it had to be more than just another “Squeak.” He reached deep inside himself and mustered up every bit of mouse-strength he had in him. Then Bob stood up very straight, and bowed very politely and very deeply and for a very long time.
Then he said with great fear, “Begging your pardon, your Holiness, I am just a mouse. Leading your ceremonies is too hard for a mouse. Only your Son can do such a difficult thing, your Holiness. And riding in the place of honor in all of your parades is not for a mouse to do. That place can only be for you, my King.”
Bob could hardly believe that he had dared to tell the King that his decision to honor Bob was wrong! His knees knocked twice as hard. His hands shook like leaves in a windstorm! And Bob blushed an even hotter red! Bob thought he was going to just die right there in front of the King! All the other mice ran away, before the King could order the brooms brought out to swat them all.
But the King said, “You are not only the most humble creature in all my kingdom, you are also the wisest. For now on you will be my most trusted adviser!”
“Oh no!” Bob thought to himself. “The King cannot trust me! I’m just a mouse! But how can I dare to tell the King a second time that he is wrong!”
Bob looked around, wanting someone, anyone, to step forward and tell the King that making Bob his most trusted adviser was a big mistake. But everyone he looked at, reached out, shook his hand and congratulated Bob on becoming the King’s most trusted adviser! He looked for the other mice, but every one of them was hiding! He looked at the King’s Son, but he just smiled a really big smile at Bob!
Bob didn’t think he could do it a second time, but he had to! Somehow he had to get the strength to tell the King he was wrong again. He took a very deep breathe, and reached way down inside himself, deeper than he had ever reached before. But there was no strength left in him. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t tell the King he was wrong a second time.
Then suddenly, out of nowhere, his knees stopped knocking. His hands stopped shaking. He stopped blushing, and turned mouse-gray again. He stood up very straight. He bowed very politely, and very deeply, and for a very long, long time. And finally, Baxter said to the King, “Begging your pardon one more time, your Holiness. I am just a mouse. I’m not wise. I cannot give advice to my King. I could make a mistake – lots of mistakes. The King should listen only to himself. You are wiser than all your creatures put together, and you are our King. We are here only to serve your wishes.”
Then Bob fainted, and fell flat onto his mouse-nose.
Two hours later, they managed to wake up Bob, by pouring twenty-four buckets of ice-water on him. He opened his eyes, and slowly sat up, wondering if he was still alive.
“Congratulations,” said the King. “You passed my tests. You really are the most humble creature in all the kingdom, and you are pretty smart too, for a mouse. And don’t worry, my Son will lead all the ceremonies, I’ll take the place of honor in all the parades, and I will listen only to my own advice. But in honor of you being the most humble creature in all my kingdom, I declare that you will have sole ownership of the back-corner and you will live there forever more!”
Then the King bent down, and shook Bob’s hand. “Congratulations, Bob,” he said. Then he ordered the guards to bring Bob some dry towels and a warm blanket, because he was soaking wet and freezing from all the buckets of ice-water they had used to wake him.
From that day on, the King’s Son set up all the ceremonies so that Bob would have a good view of them. And the King made every parade detour past the back-corner of the palace so Bob could see the whole parade up close. And every time the King made an important decision, he would turn and wink at Bob.
And every so often the King’s Son would purposely throw his ball into the back-corner. And he would sit and talk with Bob, but he never could learn to drink cheese tea.
Copyright 2020. Robert D. Ingram, 32746 Jourden Rd., Albany, Ohio 45710 (dr.bobingram@gmail.com). Used by permission.
