Inspired by the beloved short stories Rudyard Kipling crafted for children, “King Solomon’s Feast for the Animals” introduces young readers to the magical world of a king who can speak with creatures great and small. When Solomon’s grand gesture of hosting a feast goes hilariously wrong thanks to a hungry sea creature named Bobby, children learn valuable lessons about humility and kindness wrapped in whimsical adventure.
Inspired by “The Butterfly That Stamped,” one of the classic short stories Rudyard Kipling wrote in his book Just So Stories.
Once upon a time, there was a wise king named Solomon who lived in a beautiful palace. He was a very special king because he could talk to all the animals! He could understand the woofs of dogs, the purrs of cats, and even the tiny squeaks of mice.
Solomon had a magic ring. When he turned it once, whoosh! – friendly genies popped out of the ground to help him.
When he turned it twice, swish! – sparkling fairies flew down from the sky to grant his wishes.
And if he turned it three times… well, that’s a story for another time!
Solomon used his magic ring to help people and animals.
One day, Solomon wanted to show everyone how kind he was, so he decided to have a big feast for all the animals in the world! He made mountains of food – hay for the horses, seeds for the birds, and fruits for the monkeys.
But just as he was about to invite everyone, SPLASH! A giant blue sea creature jumped out of the water and ate all the food in three big gulps!
“Yum yum yum!” said the sea creature, patting its tummy.
“Who are you?” Solomon asked.
“I’m Bobby, the smallest of my 30,000 brothers who live at the bottom of the sea,” said Bobby. “They sent me to ask when dinner would be ready!”
Solomon’s eyes widened. “But… you just ate all the food I prepared for every animal in the world!”
Bobby looked confused. “Oh, was that the dinner? Where I come from, that’s just a little snack between meals!”
Solomon felt a little silly. He realized he was trying to show off instead of just being kind.
“I made a mistake,” he said to Bobby. “I’m sorry.”
Bobby gave Solomon a friendly pat with his big flipper. “That’s okay, King Solomon. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.”
From that day on, Solomon used his powers to help others and be kind, not to make himself look important. And everyone lived happily ever after!
Click here for more Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling.
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