The balance ring

There was, in a very distant country, a king who was not able to keep the balance between joy and sadness. When something good happened to him, there was no room for joy, he celebrated it in style and even excessively; But instead, when something bad happened, he became so depressed that he could spend several days in bed.

Fed up with this situation, he promised a thousand gold coins to that person capable of making a ring that would help him to better tolerate bad situations and not celebrate the good ones in such an exaggerated way. A ring to find balance in your emotions.

For weeks, all kinds of people passed through the palace: famous jewelers, magicians, sorcerers, artisans ... They all brought him hundreds of different rings: cast in gold, silver, with precious stones, of different shapes and colors ... but none of them he was able to provide the king with the balance he needed.

When almost two months had passed and they had all given up, a traveler came to the kingdom and asked for an audience.

"What do you want?" The guards asked him.

"I want to see your majesty, for I have the ring you have been searching for all this time."

Puzzled they communicated the news to the king and he finally accepted.

That traveler entered the palace before the eyes of all the courtiers. He advanced slowly to the throne and, in a soft voice, said:

"Your Majesty, I have the ring you need here." It has served me for years to maintain balance at all times. Every time I was very sad or very happy, I would watch him for a few minutes.

Slowly he took it off to give it to the king.

This, as soon as he took it, he realized that it was a simple bronze ring, without any apparent economic value and without any special characteristics until, suddenly, he stared at the three words that had been written on its surface. He read them, smiled and put it on.

"Thank you, traveler, this is just the ring I need."

And addressing all the courtiers he exclaimed.

"This man has brought the ring I have been searching for so long." A simple bronze ring, a ring that has three words written on it, the same three words that I want from now on to be included in my royal shield: "This too will pass."