फ्रान्सका राजा हेनरी चतुर्थ एक दिन पेरिस नगरमें अपने अङ्गरक्षकों तथा उच्चाधिकारियोंके साथ कहीं जा रहा था। मार्गमें एक भिक्षुकने अपनी टोपी सिरसे उतारकर मस्तक झुकाकर उसे अभिवादन किया। हेनरीने भी अपनी टोपी उतारकर सिर झुकाकर भिक्षुकको अभिवादन किया। यह देखकर एकउच्चाधिकारीने कहा – ‘श्रीमान् ! एक भिक्षुकको आप इस प्रकार अभिवादन करें, यह क्या उचित है ?’ हेनरीने सरलतासे उत्तर दिया – ‘फ्रान्सका नरेश एक भिक्षुक-जितना भी सभ्य नहीं, यह मैं सिद्ध नहीं करना चाहता।’
– सु0 सिं0
King Henry IV of France was going somewhere in the city of Paris one day with his bodyguards and high officials. On the way, a monk took off his hat from his head and bowed his head and greeted him. Henry also took off his hat and bowed his head to greet the monk. Seeing this, a high official said – ‘Sir! Is it appropriate that you greet a beggar like this?’ Henry replied simply – ‘I do not want to prove that the king of France is not as civilized as a beggar.’
