{"seoTitle":"The Sweet Prince — A Cautionary Fable About Wealth and Character | Pemba Umoja Stories","seoDescription":"A short cautionary fable about a humble youngest child who inherits a kingdom — and the moment power meets the palate. Pemba Umoja Stories.","keywords":"cautionary fable, short story about wealth, inheritance fable, humble prince, short story about power, Pemba Umoja","content":{"p1":"The sweet prince was the youngest, with three older sisters — always pampered, but always pure.","p2":"His sisters bragged about their jewels, their dresses, their dollhouses.","p3":"But the sweet prince wore torn clothes, played with secondhand toys left in the castle’s sandlot.","p4":"He grew up humble, kind.","p5":"His sisters were always concerned about their cousins.","p6":"Who was prettier? Slimmer? Richer?","p7":"Who married whom?","p8":"How handsome, slim, and rich were they?","p9":"One day the sweet prince’s parents died.","p10":"The sisters turned to him begrudgingly and gave him the keys to the castle.","p11":"He put on his father’s silk gown, his mother’s fist-sized emerald medallion, placed his hole-filled socks into calf leather shoes, and then he peered at his sisters.","p12":"He peered at his castle.","p13":"He peered at his subjects.","p14":"He peered at his endless lands.","p15":"“Who is the richest in the land?” he asked. “Who?” he demanded.","p16":"His sisters turned to each other, barely recognizing their brother.","p17":"“You. You are,” they answered squeamishly.","p18":"Their brother laughed. He took a swig of mead. Then another.","p19":"He took voracious bites out of legs of lamb and turkey, wiping his mouth with his silk sleeve. A sliver of a smile appeared across his lips.","p20":"“I am. I am,” he repeated."}}