King Yunan ruled a great city in Persia, yet his power meant nothing against a devastating illness. He suffered from severe leprosy, a disease that resisted every cure. Physicians, alchemists, and sorcerers from across the kingdom failed one by one, leaving the king weakened and desperate. Just as hope seemed lost, a traveling physician named Duban arrived at court, a man renowned for his wisdom, his mastery of languages, and his deep knowledge of herbs and the stars. Duban made a bold promise. He would cure the king without potions, pills, or ointments of any kind.
Duban crafted a hollow polo mallet filled with rare medicinal herbs and instructed the king to play a vigorous game until sweat covered his hands and body. He explained that the heat would draw the healing essence from the mallet through the skin and into the blood. Afterward, the king was to bathe and rest. By morning, a miracle had occurred. The signs of disease had vanished, and King Yunan’s skin was restored to health. Overjoyed and grateful, the king showered Duban with gold, fine garments, and honor, keeping him close as a trusted guest of the court.
This sudden favor ignited the deadly jealousy of the royal vizier. Consumed by envy, he whispered poison into the king’s ear, warning that Duban was not a healer but a traitor. He claimed that any man who could heal without medicine could just as easily kill without a weapon. Though King Yunan initially defended Duban, suspicion slowly took root. Fear overcame gratitude, and at last the king ordered Duban’s execution, betraying the very man who had saved his life.
Facing death, Duban asked only for one final mercy. He begged for a day to arrange his library and prepare a final gift for the king. At the place of execution, he presented a mysterious book, telling the king that after his death, the severed head would answer questions if the king opened the book to the sixth page. When Duban was beheaded, King Yunan eagerly opened the book, finding its pages stuck together. As he moistened his fingers with saliva to turn them, the hidden poison soaked into his body. Upon reaching the sixth page, which was completely blank, the king collapsed in agony, fatally poisoned by his own hand.
In his final moments, the king realized the terrible truth. By rewarding envy and punishing loyalty, he had sealed his own fate. The story stands as a powerful moral warning. Jealousy destroys wisdom, ingratitude invites ruin, and knowledge is the strongest force of all, capable of healing the innocent or delivering justice when wronged. The fate of King Yunan reminds readers that true power lies not in fear or authority, but in patience, gratitude, and moral clarity.