The King's Faith in Lord Vishnu

The King's Faith in Lord Vishnu

Long ago, in a beautiful kingdom called Vishalanagar, there lived a kind and wise King. He ruled his people with love and fairness. The King had a daughter named Princess Srimati. She was gentle, smart, and loved by everyone in the kingdom.

One morning, the King was sitting in his royal court, listening to his ministers and solving the problems of his people. Suddenly, a royal messenger arrived from a nearby kingdom. The messenger bowed and spoke loudly.

“My King has sent me with a message,” he said. “You must pay a large tribute of gold and jewels. If you refuse, there will be war.”

The King of Vishalanagar became worried. The neighboring king was very powerful and had a large army. Vishalanagar’s army was brave, but smaller in number. Fighting such a strong enemy would be very dangerous.

The court became silent. Everyone could see the fear on the King’s face.

Just then, a soldier rushed into the court. He bowed quickly and said, “Forgive me, My Lord, for entering without permission. This matter is very serious. I must speak to you in private.”

The King nodded and asked everyone else to leave. This soldier was in charge of Princess Srimati’s safety, so the King trusted him.

The soldier said in a low voice, “My King, I have troubling news. Every night, a stranger visits Princess Srimati’s room.”

The King stood up in anger. “What? How can a stranger enter the palace? Aren’t guards posted everywhere?”

“Yes, My Lord,” the soldier replied. “The guards are alert. But this man does not enter through doors or windows. He arrives riding a flying bird.”

“A flying bird?” the King repeated in shock. “This is very strange. Tonight, we will catch him.”

That night, the King, Queen, and several soldiers hid inside Princess Srimati’s room. Everything was quiet. Suddenly, there was a soft sound in the sky. A man entered the room, riding a mechanical bird that looked like Garuda, the divine bird of Lord Vishnu.

The soldiers rushed forward and surrounded him. Princess Srimati screamed in fear.

The King shouted, “Who are you? How dare you enter my daughter’s room?”

With trembling hands, Princess Srimati spoke. She told her parents the truth. She said, “Father, this man told me he is Lord Vishnu. He came on Garuda and married me secretly.”

The King and Queen were shocked. They fell at the stranger’s feet, believing he was truly Lord Vishnu. The man was actually a poor weaver, but he became very scared and did not know what to say. He remained silent, pretending to be the god.

The next day, filled with new confidence, the King sent a message to the neighboring ruler.
“Tell your king that Vishalanagar will not pay any tribute. If he wants war, let him come!”

The ministers were surprised. One asked, “My King, how can we win this war?”

The King smiled proudly and said, “Lord Vishnu himself is my son-in-law. No enemy can defeat us!”

Hearing this, the neighboring king laughed. He did not believe Lord Vishnu could be living on Earth. He marched toward Vishalanagar with his army, ready to destroy it.

Inside the city, the King and Queen prepared the weaver for battle. They dressed him in armor and decorated the mechanical bird. The weaver’s heart was full of fear.

His close friend, a carpenter, came to him and whispered, “You are only a weaver. You cannot fight a war. Take Princess Srimati and fly away tonight.”

The weaver shook his head. “No, my friend,” he said sadly. “If I run away, I will bring shame to myself and to the Princess. If I must die, I will die bravely on the battlefield.”

Far away in Vaikuntha, the real Garuda flew to Lord Vishnu and told him everything.
“My Lord,” Garuda said, “a weaver is pretending to be you. If he is killed, people will think Lord Vishnu was defeated.”

Lord Vishnu smiled gently. “Do not worry, Garuda. Everything will happen as it should.”

The next morning, the weaver climbed onto the mechanical bird. The people of Vishalanagar cheered loudly. They believed victory was certain.

As the bird flew over the city walls, the weaver closed his eyes and prayed.
“Lord Vishnu, please protect this kingdom. Please save the innocent people. Please bring peace.”

Suddenly, he felt a strange power inside him. The wind rushed through his hair. He opened his eyes and let out a loud roar.

The enemy soldiers heard the roar and became afraid. Some dropped their weapons. Others trembled with fear. They believed a god was flying toward them.

The weaver tried to fly higher, but suddenly the bird shook. The gears stopped moving. The wings froze. The mechanical bird began to fall straight toward the enemy army.

The soldiers panicked and ran in all directions. Dust filled the air. The bird crashed to the ground with a loud noise.

When the dust cleared, the weaver stood up unharmed. The enemy army had already fled. They believed divine power had defeated them.

The weaver returned to Vishalanagar as a hero. The people celebrated with musicison and flowers.

The weaver bowed before the King and said, “My Lord, forgive me. I am not Lord Vishnu. I am only a poor weaver.”

The King was surprised, but he smiled. “You may not be a god,” he said, “but you are brave and honest. You saved our kingdom.”

The King blessed the weaver and Princess Srimati and arranged their grand marriage. From that day on, the weaver lived with honor, and Vishalanagar remained peaceful and happy.

THE END

Moral of the Story:
True courage, honesty, and faith can turn even an ordinary person into a hero.

Comprehension Questions and Answers (For Kids)

1. What was the name of the kingdom in the story?

Answer: The name of the kingdom was Vishalanagar.

2. Who was the ruler of Vishalanagar?

Answer: The ruler of Vishalanagar was a kind and wise King.

3. What was the name of the King’s daughter?

Answer: The King’s daughter was Princess Srimati.

4. Why did the neighboring king send a messenger?

Answer: The neighboring king sent a messenger to demand tribute and threatened war if it was not paid.

5. Why was the King worried about war?

Answer: The King was worried because the neighboring king had a strong and powerful army.

6. Who informed the King about the stranger visiting Princess Srimati?

Answer: A soldier responsible for Princess Srimati’s safety informed the King.

7. How did the stranger enter the princess’s room?

Answer: The stranger entered the room riding a flying mechanical bird.

8. Who was the stranger really?

Answer: The stranger was actually a poor weaver, not Lord Vishnu.

9. Why did everyone believe the weaver was Lord Vishnu?

Answer: Because he came on a bird that looked like Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s divine bird.

10. What message did the King send to the neighboring king?

Answer: The King said he would not pay tribute and was ready for war.

Character-Based Questions and Answers

11. Was the weaver brave or fearful?

Answer: The weaver was brave, even though he felt afraid inside.

12. What advice did the carpenter give to the weaver?

Answer: The carpenter told him to run away with Princess Srimati to save his life.

13. Why did the weaver refuse to run away?

Answer: He did not want to feel ashamed and wanted to protect the kingdom.

14. Who helped the weaver without being seen?

Answer: Lord Vishnu helped the weaver in a divine way.

15. How did the enemy army react when they saw the flying bird?

Answer: They became very scared and ran away.

Moral and Thinking Questions (For Discussion)

16. What lesson does this story teach us?

Answer: The story teaches us that courage, honesty, and faith are more powerful than strength.

17. Can ordinary people become heroes?

Answer: Yes, ordinary people can become heroes by doing the right thing.

18. Why is honesty important?

Answer: Honesty builds trust, respect, and peace.

19. Was the King kind at the end of the story?

Answer: Yes, the King forgave and honored the weaver.

20. What would you do if you were in the weaver’s place?

Answer: (Child’s own answer – encourages thinking and values)

Vocabulary Questions (For Young Learners)

21. What does “tribute” mean?

Answer: Tribute means money or gifts given to avoid war.

22. What does “brave” mean?

Answer: Brave means not giving up even when you are scared.

23. What does “enemy” mean?

Answer: An enemy is someone who wants to fight or harm you.

24. What does “faith” mean?

Answer: Faith means strong belief and trust.

Activity-Based Question (Optional)

25. What part of the story did you like the most and why?

Answer: (Child’s personal answer)

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