The Careless King Ten

by Daniel Errico

King Ten ruled the Land of Numbers.

He was the King of the land, so he thought that he was the most important number.

His servants made him food, took him where he wanted to go, and did all his work for him.

They even washed his crown for him!

He threw grand balls and feasts, and each night he dumped the trash into the water.

“Why shouldn’t I dump my trash where I’d like?” he asked. “I’m the King so I don’t have to care.”

One day Number Three came to him and said, “My plants are all dying. They need fresh water, but you have filled the lake with your trash.”

“To me, it matters not,” said the King. “Now be gone with you.”

A few days later Number Two came to him and said, “My berries will not grow. They need fresh water, and you have filled the lake with your trash.”

“It matters not,” said the King. “Now be gone with you.”

A few days later Number Nine came to him and said, “I cannot fish anymore. The lake is filled with your trash, and the fish cannot survive much longer.”

“Why do you bother me with these things? It matters not!” said the King. “Now be gone with you and don’t come back.”

King Ten went on about his business.

One day he called his servants over and asked, “Where are all the flowers for my ball tonight?”

“There are none left. We used to get our flowers from Number Three, but they have stopped growing,” they said.

“Well, where is all the food?” he asked.

“There is none. The animals live off of Number Two’s berries and there are none for them to eat,” they said.

“What about my feast of fish?” he asked.

“The fish come from the lake, and Number Nine can’t fish there anymore,” they said.

His servants had no food for themselves, and they refused to do anymore until they did.

King Ten was going to have to go to the lake and clean it up.

He had to ask Number Three to help him do the job.

He had to ask Number Two to use his baskets to help pick up the trash.

He had to ask Number Nine to use his boat to go out into the lake.

Even though it wasn’t their fault, the numbers still agreed to help clean up the mess since it was their lake, too.

After a long day of cleaning, the lake was like new again.

And ever since then on that day the King made new laws (which he had to follow, too) to keep the land and the lake clean. 

Whenever someone asks him now why he takes such good care of the lake, he would says, “It matters to me!”