Ek baar ek raja tha jo apni praja se bahut prem karta tha, lekin wo thoda jaldbaaz tha. Ek din usne apne mantri se kaha, "Mujhe koi aisi cheez batao jo mujhe khushi mein thoda zameen par rakhe aur gham mein umeed de."
Mantri ne raja ko ek sone ki angoothi di aur kaha, "Maharaj, iske andar ek raaz chhupa hai. Jab aapko lage ki sab khatam ho gaya hai, tabhi iska dhakkan kholna."
Kuch saalo baad, padosi rajya ne hamla kar diya. Raja haar gaya aur apne ghode par sawar hokar jungalon mein chhupne laga. Dushman ke sipahi uske piche the. Wo ek pahadi ke kinaare ja kar ruk gaya—aage gehri khaayi thi aur peeche maut.
Uss mayoosi ke pal mein usne angoothi kholi. Usmein ek chota sa kagaz tha jis par likha tha:
"Yeh waqt bhi guzar jayega."
Raja ne gehri saans li. Usne mehsoos kiya ki agar bura waqt aaya hai, toh woh rahega nahi. Wo shant ho gaya. Sipahi wahan se bhatak kar dusri taraf nikal gaye. Raja ne phir se apni sena ikkatha ki aur apna rajya wapas jeet liya.
Jab wo shaan-o-shaukat ke saath mahal lauta, jashn manaya ja raha tha. Raja ko bahut garv mehsoos ho raha tha. Tabhi mantri ne dhire se kaha, "Maharaj, angoothi ka sandesh ek baar phir padhiye."
Raja ne phir se wahi alfaaz padhe: "Yeh waqt bhi guzar jayega." Uska saara ghamand pal bhar mein utar gaya. Use samajh aa gaya ki na toh dukh hamesha rehta hai, aur na hi sukoon ki yeh ghadiyan amar hain. Isliye, insaan ko har haal mein santulit rehna chahiye.