"High Standards: The Tale of the Royal Horse"

Once upon a time in a kingdom in India, the finest of the royal horses was taken down to the river to be bathed. The grooms led him to the same shallow pool where he was always washed. However, just before they arrived, a filthy, dirty horse, which had been caught in the countryside and had never had a proper bath, had been washed in that spot. The fine royal horse sniffed the air and immediately knew that a filthy wild horse had bathed there and fouled the water. Disgusted, he refused to be washed in that place.

The grooms tried their best to get him into the water, but they couldn't manage. Frustrated, they went to the king and complained that the fine, well-trained royal stallion had suddenly become stubborn and unmanageable. The king was perplexed and called for his intelligent minister, known for his understanding of animals.

"Please go and see what has happened to my number one horse," the king said. "Find out if he is sick or what the reason is for his refusal to be bathed. Of all my horses, I thought this one was of such high quality that he would never let himself sink into dirtiness. There must be something wrong."

The minister went down to the riverside bathing pool and immediately saw that the stately horse was not sick but in perfect health. He also noticed that the horse was deliberately breathing as little as possible. The minister sniffed the air and detected a slight foul odor. Upon further investigation, he found that the unclean water in the bathing pool was the source of the smell. He figured out that another very dirty horse must have been washed there and that the king's horse was too fond of cleanliness to bathe in dirty water.

The minister asked the grooms, "Has any other horse been bathed at this spot today?"

"Yes, sir," they replied. "Before we arrived, a dirty wild horse was bathed here."

The minister then explained, "This is a fine royal horse who loves cleanliness. He does not wish to bathe in dirty water. So, the thing to do is to take him up the river where the water is fresh and clean and wash him there."

The grooms followed his instructions, and the royal horse was pleased to bathe in the new place. The minister returned to the king and reported what had happened. He said, "You were correct, Your Majesty. This fine horse was indeed of such high quality that he would not let himself sink into dirtiness."

The king was amazed at his minister's ability to seemingly read the mind of a horse and rewarded him appropriately.

This story underscores an important lesson about maintaining high standards and principles. In life, there are individuals and even animals of such high quality that they refuse to compromise their principles or dignity, even in challenging situations. This emphasizes the importance of maintaining one's integrity and purity regardless of external circumstances.

Whether in one's way of life or the way one thinks, it is essential to live from the inside out and not be affected by outer circumstances, negative people, or energies. Sometimes, those with the purest of hearts and best intentions refuse to partake in a society that has turned dirty and lost its morals. Society may think that something is wrong with these people who value cleanliness, principles, and dignity. Instead, we should look at the water in the bathing lake and consider that it might be too dirty. Perhaps, it is the society that needs to be cleaned once again.

This tale teaches that holding onto one's standards and principles is crucial, and it is sometimes necessary to seek a cleaner environment rather than compromising one's integrity.