The Lost Keys
(A story of an insignificant boy doing the significant)
The king was rushing. His day was full of appointments and appearances and he always seemed to be about fifteen minutes behind schedule. His executive assistant, Rudy, had the schedule memorized and frequently pointed at his watch as he got the king’s attention.
They were leaving a brief visit at a hospital dedicated for military veterans…a part of the schedule that Rudy saw no point in…when the king accidentally dropped his keys our of his coat pocket. They were important keys. A key to the royal palace, a key for the royal vault which contained many important documents, a signet key that the king used to put his approval on treaties and proclamations, and a key to the royal chapel where the king often went to be alone.
They spilled out of his pocket and unto the street and laid there as the king’s car sped off.
A young boy named Tommy saw the keys falling and tried to get the attention of the king, but Rudy pushed him back.
“The king doesn’t have time for little boys. He has much more important places to go and people to see,” said Rudy. And then they were off. Tommy picked up the keys and stuffed them safely into his pocket.
The king proceeded with his day of important proceedings. When he arrived back at the royal palace just before dinner he stepped out of the vehicle and walked with Rudy to the massive front doors. He reached into his coat pocket to fish out his keys and his hand felt nothing but the bottom of his pocket.
“Where did my keys go, Rudy?”
“I don’t know, your majesty! They aren’t in the pocket you usually carry them in?”
“Not there!” The king searched his other pockets, but found nothing. “Blast it all!” he shouted, and then knocked on the door. His doorman, James, opened the door, looking bewildered at the fact that his king was standing outside.
That evening there was much discussion and frustration experienced by the king and his assistant as they tried to figure out where he had left his keys.
“Confound it, Rudy! It wouldn’t surprise me if that fox, Mr. Raines, picked them out of my pocket when I was speaking to the House of Lords. He lives to make my life miserable. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s using the royal vault key to steal important documents.”
“Your majesty, I’m sure that, despite your differences with him over the years, that Mr. Raines would not resort to such tactics.”
“Well, blast it, Rudy, where would they be then?”
At that moment there was a slight knocking that they heard. They heard the footsteps of James slowly walking across the great marble entryway to the front doors and thought nothing of it. Rudy offered a couple of other possible places where the king might have absent-mindedly put down his keys and left them, but the king was sure that neither of them was a plausible answer.
James came to the room entrance and said, “Excuse me, your majesty, but we have a strange visitor who must see you. It’s a matter that I believe you will be most agreeable in hearing about.”
“Well, bring the man in, James!”
“It isn’t a man, sire. It is a young boy.”
“James, the king has much more important things to deal with than an audience with a young boy,” protested Rudy.
“I believe you will want to make an exception this time, sir.”
The king motioned to James to bring the boy in. A moment later the young boy who had picked up the king’s dropped key chain slowly walked into the room and bowed to one knee.
“You again!” shouted Rudy. I thought I told you that the king didn’t have time for young children.
“Yes, sir! But I thought the king might like to have his keys back.” The boy brought the keys from his pocket and dangled them in front of him.
“Good heavens, Rudy! Our problem has been solved,” said the king with delight. “Where did you find them, lad?”
“You dropped them outside of the Veteran’s Hospital. I tried to get your attention, but you were in too much of a rush…going to see important people and give important speeches.”
The king looked at the boy, smiled, and said, “My boy, it sounds like the most important task that was accomplished today wasn’t done by any of us, but by you.”
“Thank you, your highness! I never would have thought that a young boy like me would be able to do anything for a royal person like you.”
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Tags: helping, insignificance, Keys, lost, lost keys, serving, significance
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