A poor servant boy lived and worked in a grand palace, where he suffered abuse from the rich princes and kings he served. Over many years, he endured their cruel treatment in order to provide for his family, with no hope of escaping his wretched life or gaining wealth, power or love. The boy could only dream of one day living a life of privilege, without realizing that for many people throughout history, life has often been cruel, depriving them of dignity and leaving them in poverty.

1. A longtime agoin a distantland,
There stooda palace oh so grand,
Where princesandkingswouldfeastall night,
Under the glowingtorchesof deepfire light,
The dreamsof manythere came true,
Wisheswere made amidstthe skysoblue,
Beautywasset inside it’smajesticstone walls,
Throughthe surroundingtreescouldbe heard the nightowl’scalls,
Yet amidstall of thisgrandeurand indescribable joy,
Liveda verymistreatedandunhappyboy,
Under the abuse of the richer kindthe boydidcontinuouslysuffer,
His life wasone longhardday’sworkwhichbecame tougherandtougher,
The young ladwas a servantto those whodweltinthatpalace,
He wastreatedabusivelyandspokentowithoutforethoughtandmalice,
Overmonthsand yearshe enduredtheirscathingandhurtful abuse,
Althoughhisworkwasof highvalue and hisyouthful strengthof muchuse,
But inorder forhisfamilytosurvive andhe hislife tobe worth living,
Of histime andhisenergyhe had to keepgivingandgiving,
Theirungratefulnessandcrueltylefthimutterlyperplexed,
Withpainand anxietyhe wasthoroughlyvexed,
His onlyrelease wouldbe the dayof hisinescapable death,
He wouldhave toworkin theircourtyardsuntil the dayof hisverylastbreath,
For the love of his motherand fatherhe wouldendure his wretched life,
He wouldgive upall hope of everhavingafamilyof hisownand a beautiful wife,
He wouldoftengaze atthe princesswhodweltinthe highesttower,
Andwishthat he couldhave beena prince withgreathonourand power,
Perhapsthenthe princesscouldsee himasa man to be loved,
Notjust a fool whodeservedtobe manhandled,mistreatedandshoved,
But it wasnevertobe forhe wasdirty,poor andlowly,
He couldnotbuilduphis wealthnotever,nonotevenslowly,
So he wouldjustdreamof livingalife like all of those above him,
To have servantsandsoldierswhowouldbow tohiseverywhim,
He knewinisheartthat it wouldneverbe,
He wouldhave toremaininthisturbulentsea,
Life todaytendsto be much the same,
People liveinpoverty,undercruelty,deprivationandshame,
Isn’tit sadhow life canbe so cruel and unkind,
Thisseemstohave beenthe case withall of mankind.