✦An original tale of a listening king
The King and the Drum
A king places a drum at his gate so anyone can ask to be heard. An elderly gardener helps him understand that listening must lead to action.
A story to read together
The King and the Drum
Take your time. Let the story unfold.
A king wanted to hear the concerns of people who rarely visited his court. He placed a large drum beside the palace gate and told the guards that anyone could ask to sound it. When the drum was heard, someone from the court would come to listen. The king was pleased with the idea. From his window, the drum looked like a promise that every voice would matter.
A quiet visitor
For several days, the drum stayed silent. The king assumed that the village must be happy. Then an elderly woman named Tara arrived carrying a basket with only two small cucumbers. She stood near the drum, uncertain whether she was allowed to approach. A guard remembered the king’s instructions and offered to help. Tara asked him to strike it once. The deep sound rolled through the courtyard. The king came outside, expecting news of some great emergency. Instead, he found a tired gardener and a nearly empty basket.
The path to the garden
Tara explained that the footpath to her vegetable plot had been damaged by rain. A broken section made it difficult for her to carry water and bring produce home. She had asked for help before, but her message had passed from one busy person to another. The king listened without interrupting. “Why did no one tell me?” he asked. Tara looked at the drum. “A message is not the same as being heard,” she replied. “And being heard is not the same as having the problem checked.”
Beyond the palace gate
The king asked the village workers to inspect the path with Tara and her neighbours. They found that several families used it and agreed on a repair plan. The king made sure someone was responsible for reporting back. Then he asked Tara whether the drum had been easy to use. She admitted that she had nearly turned away. The mallet was heavy, and the palace gate felt like a place for important people. The king realised that a promise could still be hard to reach, even when it stood in plain sight.
A promise people could use
The court arranged regular listening visits in the village as well as keeping the drum. A helpful attendant could sound it for anyone who wished, and people could leave a spoken or written message without waiting at the gate. Concerns were recorded, checked, and followed up. When Tara returned, she brought a fuller basket. The repaired path had made her work easier. The king thanked her for speaking. After that, he did not measure the success of his idea by how impressive the drum looked. He asked whether people could use the promise—and whether the court kept it.
The end
After the final page
There is no single right answer. Invite young readers to notice, wonder and imagine.
Why had Tara’s earlier messages failed to bring help?
What made the drum difficult for some people to use?
How could you check that a helpful promise has actually been kept?
Make something: Design a class “listening corner.” Show how someone could ask for help, who would listen, and how they would hear what happened next.
