“We need a war to get our stones back,” said the queen, so another war was declared. Once more
the stones were hurled across the border. The king’s and queen’s people kept fighting, wanting what
the others had, but no one was happy.
Now, one year, a wandering court jester happened to stop and sit on a hill near the border. See-
ing what was happening, he burst out laughing. “This is ridiculous,” he said to himself and asked to
meet with the king and queen, together.
When they sat down face to face, they weren’t very friendly at first. “This is all your fault,” said
the king. “You started this by throwing stones at us.”
“No, it is your fault,” answered the queen. “You declared war on us to get our stones.”
“Hang on, hang on,” said the jester. “It isn’t going to fix your problem if you’re angry or
blaming each other. One of you has stones. One of you has crops. And you each want what the
other has until you get it... and then you don’t. How can we work it out so you don’t go on fight-
ing?”
The jester saw both the king and queen were thinking about his question. The king spoke first.
“The stones are yours,” he said to the queen. “The pastures are ours. Yet the jester is right. We both
want what the other has. Maybe we could share. How would it be if we grew food for you and
swapped it for the stones that we need. Maybe my people could teach some of your people how to
farm and your people could teach us what they know about building. That way we could work to-
gether and not fight any more.”
The queen agreed and the jester laughed happily. After the two countries began sharing what
they had and were living together peacefully, the jester would often sit on his hill, watching the
people come and go across the border, sharing food and stones.
STORY 78
TENDING TO THE NEGLECTEDTherapeutic Characteristics
Problems Addressed
■ Feeling unloved
■ Feeling neglected/uncared for
■ Need of tender loving care
■ Limited choices
■ BoredomResources Developed
■ Caring
■ Learning to change what you can
■ Doing constructive/useful things
■ Creating beauty
■ Giving others pleasurePROBLEM-SOLVINGBuilding Problem-Solving Skills 185