Ben Franklin’s Quote

This quote is suggesting that even though someone may speak in a gentle or kind manner, their words can still have a strong impact. It’s similar to the idea of a “silent but deadly” weapon.

A parable that illustrates this concept in a magical story

Once upon a time, in a magical kingdom, there was a young apprentice named Kia, who had always been fascinated by the art of sword fighting. He had dreamed of becoming a great warrior, and had sought out the guidance of an old master, called Ben who was known for his skill in both sword fighting and the art of persuasion.
 
Old Ben, was a wise and kind old man, who had travelled the world and had seen much in his time. He had always believed that a soft tongue could strike hard, and had taught this philosophy to all of his apprentices.

One day, Kia came to his old master and asked him to teach him the art of persuasion, so that he could become a great warrior and one day, be a ruler in the kingdom.
 
“My young apprentice,” old Ben said, “The art of persuasion is not something that can be learned overnight. It takes time, patience, and most importantly, wisdom. But I will teach you, if you are willing to learn.”
 
Kia was eager to learn, and old Ben began to teach him the art of persuasion, using stories and parables to illustrate his teachings.

One such story was of a great warrior called Torsten who had once been feared by all in the kingdom. Torsten the warrior had a fierce reputation, and was known to be ruthless and cruel. But one day, a young girl Frida came to him and asked him to spare her village from his wrath.
 
Torsten was taken aback by Frida’s boldness, and instead of attacking the village, he decided to spare it. The villagers were overjoyed, and soon Torsten the warrior became known as Torsten the hero.
 
Old Ben explained to Kia that Torsten had become a hero, not because of his strength or skill, but because of his wisdom and kindness. He had used a soft tongue, and in doing so, had struck hard in the hearts of the people.

Kia was fascinated by his old master’s teachings, and soon began to understand the true power of persuasion. Kia realized that a soft tongue, spoken with wisdom and kindness, could be far more powerful than any weapon.
 
As Kia grew older, he became a great warrior, but he also became known as a wise and just ruler, who always used his words to bring peace and harmony to the kingdom.
 
One day, a neighbouring kingdom declared war on Kia’s kingdom, and Kia knew that he had to act quickly to prevent a bloody battle.

He decided to send a delegation to the enemy’s kingdom, to try and negotiate a peaceful resolution. The delegation was led by Kia, and he used all the wisdom and kindness he had learned from the old master to speak with the enemy General.
 
To his surprise, the enemy General was taken aback by Kia’s wisdom and kindness, and soon, both kingdoms came to an agreement, and peace was restored.
 
The old master was proud of his apprentice, and knew that he had truly learned the art of persuasion.

“A soft tongue may strike hard,” the old master said, “and in this case, it has saved many lives.”
 
From that day on, Kia was known as a great warrior and a wise leader, who had used his words to bring peace and harmony to both kingdoms. He always remembered the teachings of his old master, and passed them on to his own apprentices, so that they too could learn the true power of persuasion.

The End.

The moral of the story illustrates that the power of words is not in its volume or harshness, but in its wisdom and kindness. A soft tongue, spoken with wisdom and kindness can be far more powerful than any weapon, it can bring peace and harmony.

Extract from the book; Master Ben and Kia the Young Apprentice: A book on moral values inspired by Ben Franklin – Volume 1

Ben-Kia.com