"Once upon a time there was a king who had seven children, four boys and three girls. He ruled a land made up of a thousand islands. And they lived in a great castle on the central island. One day the king called his children together.

  'Listen carefully,' he said, 'I will give each of you an island, and you may do with it whatever you wish.'

  The oldest son chose a large island and covered it entirely in gold. During the day it gleamed in the sunlight, so that it could be seen throughout the whole kingdom, from horizon to horizon. At night it reflected the moon and the stars. While he worked he showed the island to his brothers and sisters, and they all thought it was becoming very beautiful. And when it was finished, his father came to see it.

  'Look, Father, what I have made. Do you think it is beautiful?'

  'Yes, my son,' said the king, 'it is very beautiful. But I still miss something, though I do not know what.'

  Then it was the second son’s turn. He thought for a very long time. What could still be missing? Then he chose his own island. Not as large as his brother’s. He took the most beautiful stones, in all sorts of colours, and laid them out on the island in magnificent patterns. With diamonds, rubies, and sapphires he made the beaches. With marble and limestone he made white cliffs. With gleaming granite and basalt he built terraces, and he decorated everything with multicoloured ores and precious stones. While he worked his brothers and sisters came to look. They all thought it was beautiful—except the eldest. He said, 'It’s a bit too busy for me. Maybe you should have done it all in one colour.'

  When the island was finished, the king came to see it.

  'What do you think, Father, is it beautiful?'

  'Yes, my son,' said the king, 'it is very beautiful. But I still miss something. I just do not know what.'

  The third to take a turn was the eldest daughter. She thought long and hard. What could still be missing? Then she chose an island, smaller than the eldest brother’s, but larger than the second brother’s. She created plants and flowers and placed them in neat rows along the edges of the island, carefully sorted by colour, size, and shape. In the centre she placed the largest tree in existence. And between the flowers and the great tree she made a large orchard with fruit trees, nut trees, and fragrant trees. Her brothers and sisters came to look and all thought it beautiful—except the two eldest brothers. The eldest said, 'I do like the green, but those flowers are too much for me.' The second son said, 'It is beautiful, but all those plants can wither and die. Wouldn’t stone have been better?'

  When the island was finished the king came to see it.

  'What do you think, Father, is it beautiful enough?'

  'Yes, my daughter,' said the king, 'it is very beautiful. But I still miss something, and I do not know what.'

  The second daughter thought long about what else might be missing. Then she chose a medium-sized island and asked her eldest sister if she could borrow some plants. 'Of course, little sister, I have plenty.'

  She scattered the plants, trees, and flowers across the island and let chance decide where they landed. Then she made animals, which she allowed to roam freely.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  'I understand your idea,' said the eldest brother, 'but I do not find it beautiful.'

  'I don’t understand it at all,' said the second brother. 'Those animals will eat all your plants, and even each other. Is that really the intention?'

  And the third brother—whose turn would be next—said, 'I already know what Father will say. And I already know what I will do with my island.'

  But the two youngest children thought the island was wonderful.

  When the island was finished the king came to see it.

  'What do you think, Father, is it beautiful enough?'

  'Yes, my daughter,' said the king, 'it is very beautiful. But I still miss something, and I do not know what.'

  'I do not know either,' said the third son, 'but I do know what I want. My eldest brother is right: everything my sisters have made is temporary.'

  And on his island he made a great palace, with rooms for himself, his father, and his brothers and sisters. He made the roof of gold and the walls of stone. He planted gardens and tamed the animals. He figured out how to make wine from fruit and bread from grain. How to make fire. His brothers and sisters were astonished. He had taken what they had made for beauty, and turned it into something useful for everyone.

  When the island was finished the king came to see it.

  'What do you think, Father, is this useful to you?'

  'Yes, my son,' said the king, 'it is very beautiful. And very useful. I would gladly live here with you all. But I still miss something, and I still do not know what.'

  'I think I know,' said the youngest daughter, 'but I cannot make it alone.' She went to her youngest brother and asked, 'Shall we make people who look like us?'

  'Yes,' said her little brother, 'I would like that.'

  'Can we help too?' asked the older brothers and sisters.

  'You may make the garden,' she said, 'but the people we will make together. How we do that will be our secret.'

  Together they chose an island—not too big, not too small. Their brothers and sisters together made the most beautiful garden they could imagine, with golden mountains and beaches of gemstones, trees full of fruit, and rivers of wine. All the animals were there, and none harmed another. Then the youngest two sent the others away and made people.

  When the island was finished the king came to see it.

  'What do you think, Father?' asked the youngest daughter. 'Is this what you were missing?'

  'Yes, my daughter. I was missing grandchildren. I am a grandfather!'

  The people grew up, and they had children of their own. Their grandfather gave them the remaining islands to live on. And their uncles and aunts gave them gold and stone, plants and animals, bread and wine. There were more and more people. And one dark day, there were no islands left. The people had to live together, and that was difficult. Each island got a king, and each king wanted his people to have it better than the others. They began to fight over space, and the winners made slaves of the losers.

  Then a king arose who said:

  'There are still islands where no one lives. There is an island of gold and an island of gemstones, an island where all rare plants grow, and an island with animals that exist nowhere else. There is a paradise island where only one man lives with three sons and two daughters, and there is a vast empty island with an empty castle that no one knows anything about. And there is the island where our father and mother live. Those islands are so large that there is enough for everyone.'

  And one-third of all the kings said: 'You are right!'

  The people united, and they fought against their father and mother, their uncles and aunts, and even against their grandfather. The people defeated their uncles and aunts, and they defeated their mother. The father of all people, the youngest son of the king, then went to his father and said: 'I am owed one more island.'

  'The islands are gone, my son.'

  'Then give me the sea.'

  'I give you the sea. Do with it what you think best.'

  'Father, I ask one more thing.'

  'What else do you want?'

  'I want people, like animals, to be able to die. And when they die, let them wander another island so they may see how the others live before they are born again.'

  'So it shall be, my son. And I give you one final thing. Children too will die. They may spend their time with you.'

  'Thank you, Father, that is more than I dared to ask.'

  Then together they closed off the island of origin, and the islands of the sons and daughters. The king withdrew to the palace at the centre, and the youngest son went to live in the sea. They no longer interfered with people—and unless they have died, they still live there now."