The king saw an old man fixing shoes by the road. He went over to him and asked, "Sir, I trust you like your job of repairing shoes?" The old man replied, "Not at all. It's a tough job." The king asked again, "If you think your job is tough, what kind of people do you think lead the easiest and happiest lives?" "Kings, of course," the shoemaker answered without giving it a thought. "They live in beautiful palaces, eat delicious food, and have many court ladies to entertain and wait on them."

The king thought to himself: "The shoemaker envies kings for their wealth and luxurious lifestyles, but he has no idea about the heavy duties they have to shoulder. Why don't I let him be king for one day so that he'll know what it really feels like?" The king invited the old man for a few drinks, and when the gentleman was quite drunk, the king took him back to the palace.

The king told his maids, "Put him in my clothes and place him on my bed. When he wakes up, wait on him as deferentially as you serve me." He also told his ministers to treat the old man as if he were the real king.

When the shoemaker awoke, he stared in disbelief at the regal chamber he was in and the magnificent clothes he was wearing. "Am I dreaming?" he muttered to himself. A group of maids clustered around him, saying, "Your Majesty, it's time for us to help you wash up, then you can have your breakfast." The old man didn't know what to do. The maids bathed him and then started serving him good food.

Wow, what a great meal! The shoemaker ate up all the food with great gusto. After that, beautifully dressed court ladies sang and danced for him. The graceful dancing and enchanting music made the old man feel as blissful as if he were walking on the clouds.

To his surprise, the dancing and singing suddenly stopped. An attendant came into the room and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, several ministers are waiting to see you outside." With that, he ushered the shoemaker into an elegant hall to receive the ministers.

One after another, the ministers reported their affairs to the old man and asked him for instructions. The old man was all at sea, and he couldn't figure out how he should react to their requests. His head felt heavy, and he was ill at ease.

After what seemed like ages, it was finally time for dinner. At the dining table, the court ladies repeatedly persuaded him to drink until he got dead drunk again and passed out. At that moment, the real king showed up. He told the maids to change the old man into his original clothes and send him back to where he came from.

A few days later, the king, clothed in his commoner's attire, went to see the shoemaker. Upon seeing the king, the shoemaker remarked, "You know something? That day after we had a few drinks, I dreamed that I became a king. However, a king's life is not as easy and enjoyable as I thought it was. Although there were court ladies waiting on me and all sorts of delicacies to eat, I had to attend to a lot of difficult duties. It was tiring and demanding to be a king. I'd rather live the simple, ordinary life of a shoemaker."

In this world, our circumstances and responsibilities are all different, and we all have different lives to lead and different roles to play. If we don't know to cherish and be content with what we have and instead envy others for their fame and wealth, we will always suffer and live in agony.

As the saying goes, "Every trade has its distinguished masters." As long as we work hard enough and do our best to fulfill ourselves, we will be able to make something of ourselves and live a rich, happy life.