Exploring the value of creative thinking through a traditional story called The King's Idea.
The video
AMY: Hello, I'm Amy and today we're going to be telling you an old moral tale called The King's Idea. Won't be needing these.
A long time ago, in a land far, far away, lived a king. And like all kings, this king had servants.
And this king decided to take a trip to see far-off parts of his country.
KING: Onward!
STORY NARRATOR: They walked for miles and miles and all the time they walked barefoot.
KING: Servants! Are we nearly there yet?
SERVANTS: SHAKE THEIR HEADS
AMY: At last, they'd arrived!
KING: We're here!
My beloved palace. But my feet are so sore!
AMY: The poor king and his poor feet! The road had been long and covered in sharp rocks. So, the king and the servants thought about how they could make the next walk a bit easier and less painful.
Suddenly, the king had an idea, quite an unusual one.
KING: Servants, you shall cover all the paths in the land with soft, comfy leather. Ha ha!
AMY: The servants realised it would take a lot of leather to cover all the paths, too much leather. But, they had a really brilliant, creative idea. They asked the king as simple question.
SERVANT: Instead of covering all the paths…
SERVANT: …how about we cover your feet in little pieces of leather?
KING: Why not. Let's give it a try.
Way too small!
Way too big!
Perfect!
AMY: The king and his servants walked for miles and miles after that, all the time wearing their new creative creations – shoes!
Thank you for helping tell this treasure story. See you again soon! Bye!
This is a traditional tale with a moral.
A long time ago, there lived a king who had a team of servants. One day, he decided to visit the far away areas of his kingdom, walking barefoot. When they arrived, his feet were very sore as he wasn’t used to the stones and uneven pathways. The king and his servants thought about how to make the next journey less painful. The king had an idea to cover all the pathways in leather, but his servants had a better idea - to cover the king’s feet instead. The king and his servants walked for miles after that, wearing the servants’ creation of…shoes! The king changed himself to listen to and reflect on the ideas of others. This can help us to reflect on the value of creativity.
Duration: 3' 56"
Final words: 'See you again soon! Bye!'
Video questions
- Why were the king's feet sore? (The road was long and covered in rocks and the king's feet were bare)
- What did the servants think about? (How they could make the walk easier and less painful)
- What was the king's idea? (To cover the paths in soft leather)
- What was the servant's idea? (To cover the king's feet in leather instead)
- What was their creation called? (Shoes)
Teacher Notes
Hold a class discussion about how God shows 'creativity'. This could be linked to several creation stories from a variety of religions and world views.
Look at some illuminated texts and find out how they were made. Try writing a word or sentence in the same style. Think about the creativity shown by the artists.
Find out about artists from different world views today - what inspires them, what does their work convey to others?
Find out about the Japanese art of 'Kintsugi' and how it solves a problem by creating something beautiful.
Find out how a communication strategy started - like the work of Louis Braille.
Learn a worship song in British Sign Language and discuss what the words mean to a follower.
Curriculum Notes
This short film will be relevant for teaching KS1 Religious Education in England and Northern Ireland, the Curriculum for Wales (particularly RVE as part of Humanities), and Early and 1st Level Religious and Moral Education in Scotland.
Further resources
