*ADVENTURES OF GOODBOY 48*
Once, King Bediako had a serious tiff with Goodboy over some issue. He removed Goodboy from the post as his minister and appointed his wife’s brother in Goodboy’s place. Goodboy started living in a nearby village, while hiding his identity.
One day, the king decided to visit a Village. While returning from there, he saw the footmark of an elephant. He decided to gauge his brother-in-law’s intelligence. He asked him to protect that mark for three days. The king then went back to his palace and left behind his brother-in-law to protect the footmark.
The first day passed, the new minister could not get any food, the second day also passed without any food. He was starving by the third day and had become really weak. The fourth day, he somehow dragged himself to the king and said, “Look Nana, I did protect the elephant’s footmark as per your instructions.”
The king could see clearly that his new minister lacked innovativeness and was not as able or quick witted as Goodboy. So, he found a way to get him back. He announced that all the men of the nearby villages should come to him with their wells, or else they would have to pay a fine of Gh¢. 10,000 each.
All the men were astonished to hear this strange order and wondered how they could make an inanimate thing like a well move and go with them to the king’s court.
The king’s order was also heard in the village in which Goodboy lived. Goodboy thought of a plan and told the men of his village to act according to it. The men went to meet the king along with some other villagers, but did not enter his capital. They stayed outside the city and sent a messenger to the king, “Nana, as per your orders we are here with our wells, now send your wells to welcome them.”
When Bediako heard this, he understood that it could be only Goodboy’s idea. He promptly sent his people to find and bring Goodboy back. When Goodboy arrived in the court, the king warmly welcomed Goodboy and reinstated him as his minister.
And then, the Emperor asked Goodboy to protect that footmark of the elephant. Goodboy promised to get the job done and left the court. He fixed an iron bar near the footmark and tied a 50-yard rope to it. Then he told the villagers that the houses that will come within the circumference of that rope would be demolished to protect that footmark.
People requested him not to do so and offered him money to not demolish their houses. They also promised to protect the footmark of the elephant day and night. Within no time, Goodboy managed to collect Gh¢ 100,000. He deposited that money in the royal treasury and told the king that the work is done and Gh¢. 100,000 had been deposited in his treasury.
The king then called his brother-in-law and told him, “You were hungry for three days and gained nothing, but Goodboy managed to protect the footmark as well as earn some cash in one day only.” The brother-in-law accepted the fact that Goodboy was indeed the worthiest candidate for the post of the Minister.
To be continued…
