Contos do Mundo

Biblioteca Escolar EBS Muralhas do Minho, Valença

Imagem Wendy Tan

The King Who Served Others

by Shirin Taherzadeh

It was a sunny day in Apia, Samoa, and eight-year-old Kolini and his mother had been waiting at the harbour for over an hour. They had arrived by boat from the mountainous island of Savai’i and were expecting Kolini’s father to be there to pick them up. They waited and waited, but it seemed that he had forgotten that they were arriving that morning!

It was very hot and Kolini was starting to feel thirsty. Finally, Kolini’s mother turned to him and said, “Kolini, please go and find us a taxi. I’ll wait here in case your father comes.”

Kolini quickly left the harbour and started to make his way to the main street. He saw two cars parked on the side of the road, but there were no signs for a taxi. He ran down the street, but he couldn’t see any more cars.

“What does a taxi even look like?” he thought to himself. Breathless, he stopped and looked around in dismay. “How are we going to get home?” he wondered. Suddenly he saw a tall man walking towards him from one of the parked cars.

“Are you alright?” the tall man asked.

“My mother and I need to get home,” replied Kolini, “but I can’t find a taxi to take us.”

“Let me help you,” said the man, with a kind smile. “Why don’t you take me to your mother.”

Kolini felt relieved. He walked with the man towards the harbour.

“Oh, thank goodness!” cried Kolini’s mother when she saw him. “It was getting too hot to sit here any longer! Here is our luggage,” she told the taxi driver, as she pointed to two large boxes. “And this is where we need to go.” She handed him a piece of paper with an address on it.

“No problem,” said the man kindly. He picked up the heavy boxes and carried them to his car.

Kolini and his mother sat comfortably in the back seat and they drove away from the sandy harbour towards their village.

When they arrived at the house, Kolini’s father came to the door to see who had arrived. To his surprise he saw Kolini running towards him from the car.

“Tamã! I think you forgot that we were arriving this morning! But, look! I found a taxi all by myself!”

The taxi driver was unloading the two boxes and was about to get back into his car to drive away when Kolini’s father came towards him with some money to pay for the fare.

As soon as Kolini’s father saw the taxi driver he stopped in his tracks. “What is he doing here?” he thought to himself. “And where is the taxi driver?” He turned to his wife to ask her, but she had already gone into the house. Completely shocked, and with his heart racing, Kolini’s father turned towards the taxi driver and kneeled down in front of him.

With his head still lowered, Kolini’s father looked at the money in his hand. Suddenly, he realised what had happened: his wife and son had thought that this man was a taxi driver. But this was no taxi driver. This was Malietoa Tanumafili II, the Ruler of Samoa! Seeing his father’s actions, Kolini kneeled down too.

Kolini’s father started apologising for the mistake that had been made and humbly offered him the money. But His Highness lovingly shook his head. As he got into his car, he turned to Kolini and his father, and with a smile said, “It is always my joy to be of service.”

His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II was the ruling monarch of Samoa for over 45 years. Every day he served the people of his country with great love, kindness and respect.

Malietoa Tanumafili II
1913-2007
Sapapali’i, Samoa

“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” – Saint Augustine