Long, long ago, King Astyages of Media had a terrible nightmare. He saw a grapevine growing taller and taller, until it covered the entire kingdom. The king woke up sweating and afraid.The next day, his daughter gave birth to a baby boy.She named him Cyrus.
The king called for his wisest wizard. The wizard stared into a crystal ball. 'Your Majesty,' he whispered gravely, 'the child born to your daughter will one day overthrow your throne.' The king's face turned pale.
The king looked at baby Cyrus in the cradle and felt uneasy. He called his trusted general. 'Take this child to the mountains,' the king commanded. 'Give him to a shepherd to raise. He must never know his true identity.'
The general traveled for a day and night until he found a remote village. He gave the baby to a kind shepherd and his wife. 'We will love him as our own,' the wife said softly, touching the baby's face.
Years passed, and Cyrus grew strong and healthy. He spent his days herding sheep and exploring the wild hills. He was a happy boy, but he always felt like he was meant for something more.
Cyrus herded sheep with the other children. He had a natural way of leading. The children always listened to him. 'You group watch the sheep, and you group find water!' Cyrus would say, and everyone obeyed.
One afternoon, the children decided to play a game. 'Let's play King and Soldiers!' Cyrus suggested. The children were excited and immediately voted for Cyrus to be their King.
Cyrus took the game seriously. He assigned tasks to everyone. 'You, be my guard. You, go on sentry duty. And you, manage the food!' The children all stood in a row like a real palace court.
Cyrus warned that the game couldn’t continue fairly unless everyone followed the rules.The children all nodded in agreement, except for one boy named Artembares.
Artembares was the son of a noble and refused to listen. 'Why should I listen to you?' he sneered. 'I won't follow rules from a shepherd's son!' Cyrus frowned, his eyes turning hard.
Cyrus argued with him.The argument grew louder, until an adult stepped in to separate them and settle the dispute.The nobleman's son said angrily: ‘I'm going to tell my father!’
Artembares's father, a wealthy noble, was furious. He went straight to King Astyages. 'Your Majesty!' he cried. 'A shepherd's son is pretending to be king and bullied my son! This is an insult to our nobility!'
The king ordered Cyrus to be brought to the palace. Cyrus walked into the grand hall with a straight back and calm eyes. He did not look like a simple shepherd's son at all. The king stared at him, feeling a strange chill.
'Why did you treat a noble's son this way?' the king asked. Cyrus replied calmly, 'Because the children chose me as their king. He broke the rules, so I punished him.' The king looked at Cyrus's face and realized the truth.
The wizard explained that the prophecy was fulfilled through the children's game. Cyrus had already become a king in the game! King Astyages smiled, his fear gone. Cyrus was welcomed home as the prince he was born to be.
