The King's Equal

The King's Equal
By: Katherine Paterson
Traditional/Folk Literature

This book is about Prince Raphael who will be the ruler after his father dies. However, his father tells him he will not wear his crown until he finds a women to marry who is equal to his beauty, intelligence and wealth. Since Prince Raphael was very arrogant, he knew it would be a hard task. Prince Raphael was so angry with his father's "blessing" that he refused to mourn his death. He threatened his councilors by telling them if they did not find him a wife equal to him, they would rot in the dungeons. The councilors brought many women from across the seas but no matter how beautiful, wealthy or intelligent they were none of them pleased the new King. During this time in another part of town was a young girl named Rosamund whose father asked her to leave with the goats so she would not have everything taken from her when the King came. She met a wolf who she invited to come in her home and he told her kindness would not go unrewarded. The wolf asked Rosamund to help her people and she agreed. After giving her to gold circlet he wore on his neck he told her she was to go into the town to meet the councilors. She knew that she was not the most beautiful, intelligent or wealthy women, but he reminded her that her mother laid on her death bed and said you were to be equal to the king. She was the most beautiful women the King had ever seen so he put her through the final two test. She explained that she knew he was lonely, which proved her intelligence. Then she said that because there was nothing else she wanted in life that she must be wealthy because the King was not satisfied with what he had. She explained that by his own words he had declared her more equal than he. She told Raphael that in order to win her over he must live with the goats in the pasture for one year, while her fathered lived with her in the palace. Raphael did not want to take care of the goats so he left them outside. When he talked to the wolf, the wolf went inside the shack with the goats leaving Raphael outside. He finally begged to come in and help and the wolf showed him how to do all the things Rosamund could do. Raphael returned with the goats and they were married. He realized that the new friends he had made were what made him rich and he was no longer arrogant.

This can be a great book to show students that they should never think themselves to be better than someone else. For example, they should understand that just because they have money they may not necessarily be more rich then someone without. This can be used to show them that people are equal in different ways and that beauty, intelligence and wealth are not always things that can be measured. An activity to do with this assignment could be to ask your students to write their own version of the story. You could have them write a more modern version that they can use personal experiences in.