Here's a story from the Jataka Tales, translated and presented by Kim Vu Dinh published by Editions Points.

Here's an introduction before you read it:

These stories were often passed on through word of mouth and are a fantastic way to share a group of core values, reflecting their ability to teach a universal lesson about human nature. This applies to the Jātaka Tales, widespread in India, South-East Asia and beyond, through oral, written and pictorial traditions in every region of the world where Buddha's teachings are popular. The feature that stands out for Western audiences is that they are described as tales about Buddha's past lives but he is actually a Bodhisatta, someone on the path to Buddhism. Every Jātaka  details one of the Buddha and Bodhisatta's countless past lives, appearing in animal form, in human form and sometimes even in celestial form, and presents situations or characters that help him build the 10 qualities (paramis) required and sufficient to become a Buddha.

The Bodhisatta presents virtues such as truth, generosity and wisdom in an exceptional way, whether it be a king carrying out justice impartially to ensure the truth wins out, a hare who decides to sacrifice its body to feed a beggar monk or an ascetic teaching a ruler how to reign with wisdom. These Jātaka, stories teach us that the bodhisattva's successes and failures don't matter; what matters is the qualities he gains from the situations he faces during his different lives. The quest for the meaning of life and conditions that enable you to remove yourself from life's hardships are actually a sub-theme of these tales.

This is the first story I've chosen to share here.

The King's Virtues

Rajovada Jataka

One day the King of Kosala visited the Buddha and was very late. When the Buddha asked why, the King replied that he had passed sentence in a very difficult case. To urge him to judge a cause with justice and impartiality, the Buddha told him the following story.

 Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta was conceived by his Queen Consort. And the ceremonies proper to her state having been duly done, she was afterwards safely delivered. On his name-day, the name they gave him was Prince Brahmadatta.

At sixteen, he was sent to Takkasila, where he quickly mastered all branches of learning. When, on his father’s death, he became king, he ruled with uprightness and administered justice without partiality Because he ruled justly, his ministers were also just. Because everything was done fairly, no false suits were ever brought to court. All the bustle of litigation stopped. Ministers often sat on their benches for many days without seeing a single plaintiff. The courts were deserted.

Then the Bodhisatta thought to himself, "Because of my just government no plaintiffs try to make their case. The old hubbub is quiet; the courts of law are deserted. I wonder, however, whether I personally have any fault. If I do, I will give it up and live a better life."

He began asking everyone in the palace, but no one told him of any flaw in his character or behaviour. He heard only praise of himself "Perhaps," he thought, " they are all so afraid of me that they dare not say anything but good. "

So he went to ask those in the city, outside the palace. There, too, he heard only praise of his virtues. He extended his quest into the suburbs, inquiring of the citizens at large, but, even there, no one spoke of any fault in the king.. Outside the city he questioned those who belonged to the suburbs at the four city gates. Still there was none who had any fault to find; nothing but praises could he hear. Still not satisfied, he decided to try in the countryside. Before he went into the rural areas, he entrusted the government to his ministers. Mounting his chariot, accompanied only by the driver, the king left the city in disguise. He travelled all over the country, even as far as the very borders of the kingdom, but no matter how he phrased his question, not a single person found any fault in the king. Everywhere he went, he heard himself lauded. Satisfied at last, he turned back to return to the capital.

It just so happened that Mallika, the king of Kosala, had been doing the very same thing. King Mallika, who also ruled fairly, had been searching in exactly the same way for a fault in himself. He, too, had traveled to the edge of his kingdom, but had heard nothing but praise, and had decided to return to his capital.

These two met on the road to Benares. The place where these two kings met was a narrow passage between two steep cliffs. The road was wide enough for only one chariot.

– Make way! King Mallika’s charioteer shouted.

– Get your chariot out of the way! said the King of Benares' driver. Know that in this carriage sits the great monarch Brahmadatta, lord of the kingdom of Benares!

– Not so, driver! replied the other. In this carriage sits the great King Mallika, lord of the realm of Kosala! You must make way and let our king pass!

– Why, here’s a king too, thought the driver of the king of Benares. What in the world is to be done?

Then a thought struck him; he would enquire what should be the age of the two kings, so that the younger should give way to the elder. And he made enquiry of the other driver how old his king was. But he learnt that both were of the same age. Then he had another idea. Thereupon he asked the extent of this king’s power, wealth, and glory, and all points touching his caste and clan and his family. Discovering that both of them had a country three hundred leagues long, and that they were alike in power, wealth, glory, and the nature of their family and lineage. Then he bethought him that place might be given to the better man. So he requested that the other driver should describe his master’s virtues. The man replied by the first verse of poetry following, in which he set forth his monarch’s faults as though they were so many virtues:

Rough to the rough, king Mallika the mild with mildness sways.

Masters the good by goodness, and the bad with badness pays. 

Oh driver, make space, make space! Such are this monarch’s ways!

– Oh! said the man of the king of Benares, Is that all you have to say about your king’s virtues?

Yes, said the other.

– If these are his virtues, what must his vices be?

– You call those vices, do you? Let us hear what your king’s virtues are!

– Listen, my good man!

And repeated the second verse:

He conquers wrath by mildness, the bad with goodness sways.

By gifts the miser vanquishes and lies with truth repays.

Oh driver, make space, make space! Such are this monarch’s ways!

When they heard that, both King Mallika and his driver got down from their chariot. The driver unhitched the horses and moved the chariot out of the way so that King of Benares could pass. Then the King of Benares advised the King Mallika.

He returned to Baranasi and continued giving alms and performing many good deeds all his life, until he went, at last, to swell the hosts of heaven.

King Mallika took Brahmadatta’s lessons to heart. Returning to his own city, he ruled wisely, practiced generosity, and performed many good deeds. When he died, he, too, was reborn in heaven.

The 10 paramis are:

Dāna: Generosity

Mettā: loving-kindness

Upekkhā: equanimity, serenity

Paññā: wisdom

Adhitthāna: resolution

Sacca: truthfulness

Khanti: tolerance

Viriya: diligence

Sīla: virtue

Nekkhamma: renunciation

² When the stories were written, Taxila was the capital of Gandhara, a region north-west of present day Pakistan. This university city was renowned for the standard of its teachers