Once upon a time there was a slave named Omar. He had been brought before the king with one hundred other slaves.
From the moment the king laid eyes upon Omar, he knew that he was someone special. The beauty of Omar's aura enchanted the king so much that he instantly made him his assistant. It was not long before Omar gained the trust and confidence of the king, who put him in charge of his treasury, where all of his precious gold and jewels were kept. Many of the king's men became envious of Omar's new position. They could not understand why he should rise from a slave to keeper of the king's treasure.
Soon their envy grew into spite. They began to tell stories in order to bring Omar into the king's disfavor. One of the stories was that Omar woke up before everyone else in the palace and went into the room where the king's jewels were kept-and that he was stealing the jewels little by little every day. When one of the king's men told him what was being said, the king responded, "No, I cannot believe such a thing! You'll have to show me."Therefore they brought the king to watch in secret as Omar entered the treasury room. The king saw Omar open the safe. But what did he take out of it? It was not the king's jewels, but his old ragged clothes that he had worn as a slave. He kissed them, pressed them to his face, and laid them on the table. Incense was burning and the king could see that Omar was doing something important to him. Omar put on his old clothes, looked at himself in the mirror and said, "Look, Omar. See what you were before. Know that it was not your worthiness that brought you to this position, but the king's generosity and goodness in overlooking your faults. So guard this duty as your most sacred trust, in appreciation of his generosity and kindness. Most important, never forget your first day-the day when you came to this town. For it is the remembrance of this day that will keep you grateful."
Omar then took off his old slave clothes and put them back into the safe. Then he put back on his princely robe. As he headed for the door, he noticed the king standing in the doorway. The king looked at Omar with eyes full of tears and said, "People told me that you had stolen jewels from my treasure room, but I have found that you have stolen only my heart. Ornar, you have taught me a valuable lesson. It is a lesson we all must learn, whatever our position in life may be. We must always be grateful, even for the hardships we have known. Then the king looked into Omar's eyes and said, "Ornar, I may be the king, but it is you who have the royal heart.
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