The Barefoot King

“Where would I find enough leather
To cover the entire surface of the earth?
But with leather soles beneath my feet,
It’s as if the whole world has been covered.”
—Shantideva

This is the story of a young king named Creet who rules a land where people walk with bare feet. When the young king stubs his toe one day, he decides to protect his people by covering the whole kingdom in leather—with some unexpected results!

Based on the ancient wisdom of the Buddhist sage Shantideva, this story shows how we can find creative solutions when something is difficult or makes us frustrated. We can’t make the whole world smooth and easy with no bumps, but we can learn to handle the bumps by working with our hearts and minds to change our perspective.