Dumb No Longer

There is a story told of a certain king of Lydia, in old times, whose name was Croesus. He was supposed to be the richest king in the world at that day, and this has given rise to the common saying, “as rich as Croesus.” But he had the misfortune to have a son who was dumb, or unable to speak. His childhood and boyhood had passed in the splendid court of his father. But during all those years he had never spoken one word. Then dreadful troubles came on his father and the country over which he reigned. The Persians were his enemies. They were very powerful. They defeated the army of Croesus and took him prisoner, together with his unfortunate son. The Persian soldiers were plundering the city. One of them was just going to kill the king, not knowing who he was. His poor son saw what that soldier was about to do. The thought of it was more than he could bear. He loved his father with a very strong love. That love did for him then what all the skill of the physicians had never been able to do. In his effort to save his father, it broke the string which had tied his tongue, and he cried out, “Don’t kill him! That is the king!”