The Prince

Once upon a time. A rich Prince always came out to rest under a tree in his father's sprawling compound. Each time he came out, a bird would be singing ceaselessly disturbing his sleep. On this day, the Prince came out to rest as he does and the bird yet again started signing. The Prince ordered his guards to catch the bird and bring it before him alive for torture. His bodyguards did just that. The prince looked at the bird and said “You tiny bird, I am going to torture you to death so I can have peace here”.

The bird begged "My prince, please don't. They call me the 'Wise One’ in our community. I can help you solve a mystery in exchange for my life."
The Prince laughed loud and said "I have sleepless nights each day, so I come out here to rest but you won’t let me rest. Now you want to fool me with a folly?"

The bird asked him "Your Highness, why do you have sleepless nights, may I ask?".

The Prince paused and said "Since you insist. I have my three best Princess friends, we party a lot each day but each time they left I am left alone with my dirty, haggard-looking maid and servants who give me no joy. Sometime I wish the King, my dad, could swap the dirty maid with one of my clean Princess friends so we can party all night"

The wise bird paused and said “hm! Your best friends, you said? But why would they leave you when you need them most- maybe they leave because the wine and food ran out?”

The Prince got upset and screamed at the bird “Is this how you solve your mystery? My friends are royal and have enough food at their homes. They go home because they need to sleep”.

The wise bird said “Can I help you solve this mystery, My Prince?”

The Prince screamed “God ahead, because you are close to your death now! You got me more upset”

The bird said “this will take Five full market days, each day is for one test”.

The prince said “You can buy as much time as you want but it won’t save you if you don’t solve this mystery”

On the first market day, the wise bird told the Prince to lock himself in his room and pretend to be ill. The bird flew to tell his first Princess friend from the first community that the Prince was very ill; defecated on his body and room. He refused anyone to clean him up except you his friend. The first Princess got very upset and roared “ Are you out of your mind? You want a Princess like me to come and clean him up with all that smell and stench? Please go and tell him I am sorry for his illness but I cannot come there now till he is cleaned up” The bird flew back and told the Prince. The Prince was shocked.

On the second market day, the wise bird told the Prince to lock himself in his room and pretend to be ill. The bird flew to tell his second Princess friend from the second community that the Prince was very drunk and threw up on his body and floor. He’s refusing anyone to clean him up except you his friend. The Second Princess grabbed a stick and chased the bird out shouting “May the gods punish you! Do I look like a cleaner? The bird flew back and told the Prince. He was surprised his friend could do that.

On the third market day the wise bird told the Prince to lock himself in his room. The bird flew to tell his third Princess friend that the Prince had lost all his money and ran mad. No one could calm him down, except you his best friend. The third Princess laughed and rolled on the floor and said “I can see that both of you are really mad. Well, you can see that I am busy now doing my nails. I am only sad I won’t party with him anymore since he has no money to throw parties again” The bird flew back and told the Prince. He was very sad.

On the Fourth market day the wise bird told the Prince to pour water on his clothes and lie on the floor groaning. The bird flew to tell his dirty maid that the Prince was very drunk and urinated on his body; nobody could come near him because he smelled. The Bird begged her “Can you come and clean him up, even though that’s not your job?” The maid cried and begged the bird not to let anyone in the community know so that the Prince wouldn’t lose his respect. She fetched water, rushed with soap and clean clothes to clean the Prince up. On getting there the Prince held her hand and stood up. He told her not to bother but to go dress up for an important event tomorrow.

On the Fifth market day, the Prince summoned the community, singers and dancers. He cooked and brought pots of wine. He also sent for his Princess friends to dress up for a surprise. Each of the Princesses knew the prince was going to select a wife. They dressed up in fine flowing dresses, sweet perfumes, fancy head-gears, colored lips and fingers to impress the Prince. As they all gathered, the Prince told the wise bird to recount what they did, and the wise bird did. The Prince rose and walked up to the haggard-looking maid standing behind the crowd to hide her dirty clothes, and asked the servants to dress her up like a Princess. He took her to his father, the King, and begged the King to bless them as husband and wife.

The King said “My son, I cannot come between you and happiness even when this is against norm. An adage says ‘A dog that sees a visitor and wags its tail will give the visitor kola if it had one’. I heard all that happened, and I have no objection because while the Princesses worked hard to attract your attention, the maid’s love and humility won your heart. I pronounce you husband and wife, the future King and Queen”

The maid cried genuinely and kissed the Prince, her husband. The life of the wise Bird was spared, while the Princesses walked away in shame and disappointment. People murmured as they ate that the Princesses hadn’t been true friends to the Prince at all. Good friends would never turn their back in times of need and difficulties. The Prince learned that if you want to know your true friends put them to test and pretend you lack. Moreover, never judge people by their outward appearance.