The Good King and The Poisoned Well Parable
There once was a King, who ruled over a vast kingdom and who was both mighty and wise. He was feared for his might and loved for his wisdom.
In the heart of that kingdom was a well, whose water was pure and crystalline, from which all the people drank, save the King, for He had his own well from which he drank.
One night when all were asleep, a witch entered the city, and poured a strange liquid into the well, and said, “Henceforth, all who drink this water shall become mad.”
The next day, all of the people in the kingdom, save for the King, drank from the well and all became mad, even as the witch had foretold.
And the people began to say, “The king is mad and has lost his reason. Look how strangely he behaves. We cannot be ruled by a madman, he must be dethroned.”
The King grew fearful, for his subjects were preparing to rise against him. So that evening, he ordered a golden goblet to be filled from the well, and he too drank the water.
The next day, there was great rejoicing amongst the people, for their beloved King had finally regained his reason.
–Author Unknown