THE BAREFOOT KING

“Long ago there was a young king named Creet. / In his land, people walked with bare feet.” The king’s mind has a tendency to wander, and he’s easily distracted; one day, as he walks down a country road, he stubs his toe most painfully. His solution, after a restless night, is to cover the entire country with soft leather. Everyone in the kingdom works to get it done…but the solution causes slick roads and keeps the rain from the soil. When the king consults his ministers, the wisest offers some mindful advice. With a little thought, mind training, and a little leather—on his feet—the issue is solved. Writer, acting teacher, and mindfulness proponent Nance bases his fable about the origin of shoes on a quote from eighth-century monk Shantideva’s long poem of Buddhist instruction, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. The passable couplets get the job done, though without any explicitly Buddhist content, and Holden’s bright illustrations make the tale friendly and inviting. Creet’s kingdom is racially diverse (Creet himself has light-brown skin and black hair), and its inhabitants wear tunics, loose trousers, robes, and the occasional turban. An author’s note locates the origin of footwear in Mesopotamia and discusses the inspirational source material.

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