Reclaiming Nobility

A King had an only son. One day, the son went mad. He thought he was a turkey! He stripped naked, and sat under the table, picking at scraps of bread. The greatest physicians were summoned, but to no avail. Finally, a sage appeared, and told the King that he could heal his son. The sage stripped naked, and sat under the table as well. The prince said: "Who are you?" The sage said "Who are YOU?" "I'm a turkey!" said the prince. "I'm also a turkey!" The prince was delighted to have a companion. Soon, the sage motioned to have clothing brought to them. "Clothing?!?! Why clothing?!?! We're turkeys!" cried the prince. "And if we wear pants and a shirt, will we no longer be turkeys?" reasoned the sage. The prince was convinced, and they both got dressed. Then the sage motioned that they be brought real food. "Food?! We're turkeys! We eat scraps!". "Will we cease being turkeys if we eat human food? argued the sage. Little by little, the sage brought the prince back to being a prince.
It has been pointed out that this story is very similar to Kafka's "Metamorphosis" in which a prince awakes one morning to discover he has been turned into a cockroach. Both stories deal with what is ugly in the human condition. But there is a huge difference. In Kafka's story, the prince IS the cockroach, and must learn to function as a prince despite this. In Rabbi Nachman's story, the prince is really a prince, who has DELUDED himself into thinking he is a turkey. The essential NOBLE nature of a man is the reality, That which is ugly and lowly is an error of great proportion. The sage (Tzaddik) must teach the man how to reclaim his nobility. We are noble. May each of us discover this reality within, and arise from under the table!