How not to give a damn

Once upon a time, there was a king who had no children. He grew very fond of one of his minister’s sons, so he decided that every wish of the boy would be fulfilled. Many courtiers were appointed to serve him.

The boy’s first wish was, “Bring me the moon.” The courtiers were greatly troubled, but after much thought, they came up with a plan. In a grand hall, they set up an artificial moon, and on the first night of the lunar cycle, when the moon is not visible, they brought the boy there and told him, “This is the moon.”

But the boy was not satisfied. The next day, he asked the king for a needle and an elephant. When both were brought, he said to the king, “Now pass this elephant through the eye of the needle.”

.....

The moral of the story is that one should not grow attached to, or pay heed to the wishes of irrelevant people. There are much more important and productive things to do. If someone leaves, someone else will take his place.