The Gnat Who Wanted to Be King

Content : A swarm of flies on a dung heap,
Buzzed with delight, thrilled by manure,
By cowpat perfume and farmyard scents,
When a gnat appeared – not one of theirs, to be sure.
Without so much as a greeting, he made his grand speech:
"Bow down before me and shower me with gold!"
No fly had ever heard such nonsense preached.
"You’re dreaming!" one snapped. "And then what?"

But the gnat would win them over. He would become their king!
At Versailles, he would bask in applause meant for Molière,
Lully, Le Nôtre, and the king’s own musketeers.
But in craving too much glory,
While Louis XIV posed proudly for his royal portrait,
The gnat was crushed – by the Sun King himself.

A whimsical tale leading to the discovery
of Louis XIV’s portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud.