Myth - The King and his Pet Elephant

Sometimes the best 'teachers' you just meet in a Costa Coffee! This is how I learned about the King and his pet Elephant.

One day, (a long time ago, when I was still young and b...lol) I had to satisfy my vice...a huge cuppa coffee in my favourite haunt in Wood Green London. What a combination (sigh), Costa Coffee in a Book Shop! Bliss indeed!
You could say, I certainly was a regular there and the staff treated me like a long lost friend.
I was still very young, worked in the city for a Japanese firm and was certainly not happy in my job. I just started there and apart from that I was bored to no end. I was a luxury item to the department, more to boost the managers status then actually being there to do some work. I wasn't the only one that was unhappy within that work environment many members of staff entrusted me with their own problems which was mainly unfair treatment within this company that is better described as 'sexual' harrassement and discrimination.

Four weeks into this new job, it came out that the company was in financial trouble, and as I was still in my probationary period, I got one week's notice and that was me out of the door.
To get benefit, for some reason, I had to ask for the reason why they'd let me go (I knew why, there was simply no work and my job under the circumstances wasn't justified) but... they'd put me in a very difficult position, no job, one week's money and bills to pay!

I managed to get an appointment with the managing Director in the hope I could at least stay on longer until I find another job or at least argue the point that I needed to know the reason for me having 'failed' my probation.
The day before I had this appointment I went to my rather therapeutic haunt, Costa and the army of friendly mediteranean staff was there and they saw that not all was good.

Coffee on the House and I was introduced to an Algerian gentleman who was reading five different news papers ranging from Arabic to Jewish. He slapped his hand on the newspapers, sighed and said in a warm friendly voice: 'You see this?'...All Myth.

Myth? I ask incredulously, trying to figure out what languages these papers were.
'Yes, he replied. 'To find out what is happening in my country, I read the news papers from all the countries surrounding it. My country's newspaper only tells us myth, the other country's newspapers tell me half truths, between them... I learn, he pointed at the side of his head indicating his brain, truth'.

He introduced himself to me and I gave him my name. 'You don't look happy' he continued.
I explained about my job loss, the poor treatment of staff and their rights and the appointment I had been able to secure with the managing director in the hope for 'justice' and gave him a lot of details to the situation. Well, I actually poured my heart out.

The week before I was asked to leave, I actually had received from my immediate manager some kind of appraisal and was told that he was delighted with my work and happy with the new projects that we were supposed to start off.
I figured that some of the problems were probably the result of a kind of Japanese honour and status thing and this is what I also told the Algerian man. I expressed that I didn't think that talking with the managing Director would get me anywhere, for now it just gave me a glimmer of hope.

The Algerian man sat back, folded his arms over his tum and asked "Do you have time for a Story"?
As far as I was concerned, I had all the time in the world, so I said yes and this is when he told me the Myth of an Asian King...

The Asian King and his 'pet' elephant

A long time ago there was a king and he was a very proud king because he had the most beautiful elephant roaming around his kingdom and it was his! A pet elephant.
He was often seen gleaming with delight and happiness when he came to see his elephant. The world was lost to him, nothing else existed but that big Bull of an elephant.
However, the king's people were not happy with the elephant, it destroyed their villages, ruined their crops and was a serious thread to their children.
One day, a child had nearly been trampled by this elephant and the villagers have had enough. They decided to hold council that same afternoon and discuss what to do about the 'king's elephant'
The villagers in the heat of the moment all agreed and that afternoon everybody shared their grief about the devastation the elephant created. The mob was angry and cried out that somebody had to go and tell the king. One of the village elders asked for quiet and when the noise died down, he asked the crowd: 'Who volunteers to go and speak to the king?'

He looked round the mass of people waiting for somebody to step forward. None did. Again he repeated the question: 'Who volunteers to go and speak to the king?' Again he was answered with silence. Nobody stepped forward. The Village Elder again searched the crowd and noticed a beggar sitting at the side watching the spectacle.

'You there, in the rags sitting next to the tree', the elder addressed the beggar. 'Will you go?'
The Beggar stood up and asked: 'Why me?'
The elder replied: 'You have nothing to lose, if the king gets upset, you will not deprive a family of a loved one'. You will not leave a crop unattended or a job undone. Would you speak for us?'
The Beggar contemplated for a while and the crowd waited in hope and silence.
'Ok, said the poor man, I will go but you all have to come with me and when I address the king and tell him about the elephant, all I ask of you is to confirm the deeds of this beast when asked.

The Elder and the rest of the villagers cheered, delighted and relieved that the poor man would speak on their behalf with the King. They guided him to the king's palace, with hope and determination.

The king saw the crowd of people walking up towards his palace and as this was very unique, his curiosity made him agreeable to an audience with the villager's spokesman.

The audience Hall was large and accommodated them all. The king on his throne and the Beggar bowing in front of him. Behind the Poor man, the villagers filled up the hall.
'Stand up' and tell us how the king can 'serve' you sir.
The beggar stood up and said to the King: 'Your Majesty, it is about your magnificant Elephant'
Like a child the king's eyes lit up with happiness, by the mere thought of owning such a creature.

'Your Elephant is so strong and magnificent that when it enters our village it tears our houses of their foundations',
The King looked slightly pleased with the mentioning of the strength of his elephant but puzzled about the dammage done to the villagers houses. 'Is that true? the king asked the villagers.
His eyes searched the villagers faces for a hint of confirmation, but none stepped forward to confirm.

The poor man continued with his appeal to the king: 'Sire, your Elephant has a big appetite, he ruins our crops!'

Another accusation and the King looked slightly concerned about this. 'Is that true?' he asked of the villagers but as before none of them dared to confirm. The king sat back again relieved that nobody else had seen such a deed by this elephant.

One more try thought the beggar, this should make them speak up: 'Sire, this morning your elephant nearly trampled one of our children!'

The king was truly concerned and shocked with this accusation. Again he asked of the villagers to confirm this statement but like before they all remained quiet.

'Sire, said the Beggar, it may be that I am the only one who has seen these deeds of the Elephant. I believe these deeds are signs'.
'Signs, questioned the king, what kind of signs?'

'Signs of loneliness, your majesty, why not get yourself an elephant cow to accompany the bull? They can start a family and roam around happilly together and bring to this kingdom the trampling of baby elephant feet?
"Then as a family they can destroy all the villages, crops and trample the children!"
And with these words the beggar left the audience hall.

The story stuck in my mind and the next day, I told the Japanese managing Director everything including the unfair treatment of staff (including myself) and there wasn't a sign on his face that he was aware of to what was going on.
I spoke about the 'honour' competition. Again no reaction. I thanked him for his time and asked him one last favour, which he granted. I asked him if I could tell him a story.

He actually listened and when I finished telling this story, I told him that he was like this king.

I bowed and left the room feeling strange. It was as if a weight had lifted of my shoulders. I knew that because of this honour thing I would not get my job back but I knew that changes would be made concerning HR.

I learned from a collegue that two weeks later, the department manager had been demoted and was sent back to Japan and my immediate manager had been rewarded with the position. The HR manager which caused the harrassement was sacked. It didn't help me but it helped the others.

I have never seen this Algerian man again although he was known amongst the staff of that Costa as a 'wise-man'.
leaving this company was the best that could ever have happend to me.

Who knows, maybe this myth may help one of you too.

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