I Envy Nobody-no Not I!

There is an old English fable that goes something like this: “Once upon a time there lived on the banks of the River Dee a miller, who was the happiest man in England. He was always busy from morning till night, and he was always singing as merrily as any lark. He was so cheerful that he made everybody else cheerful; and people all over the land liked to talk about his pleasant ways. At last the king heard about him. ‘I will go down and talk with this wonderful miller,’ he said. ‘Perhaps he can tell me how to be happy.’ As soon as he stepped inside of the mill, he heard the miller singing …

I envy nobody–no not I!
For I am as happy as I can be;
And nobody envies me.

“‘You’re wrong, my friend,’ said the king. ‘You’re wrong as wrong can be. I envy you; and I would gladly change places with you if I…