King Philip of Macedonia was very fond of horses. Macedonia was a state in ancient Greece just like Gujarat in India. King Philip had a son called Alexander who was then 14 years old.
One day a horse trader from Turkey brought some very fine horses to sell to Philip. There was amongst them a magnificent, beautiful horse by name of Bucephalas. He was a wild one and threw down anyone who tried to mount him. Slowly as every rider met with failure, to mount the horse became a challenge that the best riders of the kingdom accepted and without fail Bucephalas threw each of them to the ground. Alexander was standing at the edge of the arena next to his Dad no less an impatient lad than the horse, stamping his feet on the ground and crying out to his father, "What kind of kingdom do you head? What kind of army do you have? There is not a single rider man enough to mount this horse let alone ride it!"
The horse trader heard these words of the young Alexander and winked at King Philip and said to the boy, "Why don't you try to mount him and ride him? Maybe you are man enough for this." (As if to teach him a lesson.)
Alexander went forward and mounted the horse which promptly threw him to the ground. Again he rose and climbed the horse. Again Bucephalas thew him. Alexander thought for a while, and then mounted the horse and rode him far away.
When Alexander came back everybody was cheering him. Philip asked with tears of joy and pride in his eyes, "How did you do it?"
Alexander replied, "After the first two falls I realised the horse was afraid of his own shadow. So I turned him towards the sun and then mounted him. As I rode him away, I talked to him until he and I, horse and horse-rider became one. Then I brought him back."
King Philip with great pride said, "Well son this kingdom isn't big enough for you. Go out and win your kingdom." Which he did before he died at the young age of 32. This was Alexander the Great, pupil of Aristotle.
source: Stories from Here and There, Ekalavya Education Foundation - By: Sunil Handa - http://www.eklavya.org/storyhere.html
One day a horse trader from Turkey brought some very fine horses to sell to Philip. There was amongst them a magnificent, beautiful horse by name of Bucephalas. He was a wild one and threw down anyone who tried to mount him. Slowly as every rider met with failure, to mount the horse became a challenge that the best riders of the kingdom accepted and without fail Bucephalas threw each of them to the ground. Alexander was standing at the edge of the arena next to his Dad no less an impatient lad than the horse, stamping his feet on the ground and crying out to his father, "What kind of kingdom do you head? What kind of army do you have? There is not a single rider man enough to mount this horse let alone ride it!"
The horse trader heard these words of the young Alexander and winked at King Philip and said to the boy, "Why don't you try to mount him and ride him? Maybe you are man enough for this." (As if to teach him a lesson.)
Alexander went forward and mounted the horse which promptly threw him to the ground. Again he rose and climbed the horse. Again Bucephalas thew him. Alexander thought for a while, and then mounted the horse and rode him far away.
When Alexander came back everybody was cheering him. Philip asked with tears of joy and pride in his eyes, "How did you do it?"
Alexander replied, "After the first two falls I realised the horse was afraid of his own shadow. So I turned him towards the sun and then mounted him. As I rode him away, I talked to him until he and I, horse and horse-rider became one. Then I brought him back."
King Philip with great pride said, "Well son this kingdom isn't big enough for you. Go out and win your kingdom." Which he did before he died at the young age of 32. This was Alexander the Great, pupil of Aristotle.
source: Stories from Here and There, Ekalavya Education Foundation - By: Sunil Handa - http://www.eklavya.org/storyhere.html
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