In early days before
the origin of the habit of wearing footwear, there was a mighty king who lived
in pomp and prosperity. One day he walked barefoot along the streets in
disguise to learn about the conditions of his countrymen. He returned to the
palace in great pain with bruised and swollen legs as he was not used to
walking barefoot along the country roads. He used to ride on his horse or
chariot whenever he moved out of his palace.
The king
summoned a meeting of all the leather workers of the country. He told his
minister that he was planning to employ them to lay a layer of leather over all
the roads of the country so that his feet would not ache after a walk around
the country. At that time, leather was being made but was used for purposes
other than making footwear. Leather was then used for making clothing, tents,
harnesses, carpets, shields, floats for rafts, containers for liquids like
wine, protective armour of soldiers etc.
The minister
thought about the immense expense involved in paving the roads with leather and
wanted to avoid it. But he was afraid to offend the short-tempered king. So he
told him that paving the common roads would make every citizen including the
beggars walk over the same leather pavement to be used by the king as the
public roads could not be reserved for the king. He made an alternative
proposal to cover the king’s feet with leather of the best quality available in
the country. This would restrict the privilege of shielding the feet during
walking to the king alone.
The king was
glad to hear this splendid suggestion. He got his feet covered with leather and
walked about wearing the novel crude footwear. Later, others imitated the
king’s action and soon footwear changed from a royal luxury to a common
necessity. Necessity is the mother of invention.
………………………………………………………………..
© By: Prof. Dr. Babu Philip,
Darsana Academy, Kottayam-686001, Kerala, India ( Former Professor, Cochin
University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala,
India), Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's
College, Kanjirappally, Leo. S. John, St. Antony's
Public School, Anakkal, Kanjirappally and Neil John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally,
Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
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