A stonecutter was working in the quarry.  A soldier marched up to him and ordered him to kneel. Why? Because the King was coming on his elephant!

As the King passed by, the stonecutter thought, ‘Even the elephant has a better life than me.  I wish I was the elephant!’

And he became the elephant. This is the life, he thought! Free bananas, free shoots and leaves! Until…

The King was thirsty in his hot and heavy ceremonial robes. He poured himself a cup of tea – and spilt it on the elephant’s back. Ouch! It was hot! The elephant thought: I wish I was the King …. and he became the King!

The sun shone. The King sweated. He ordered it to set. It did not! The sun is stronger than me! I wish I was the sun - and he became the sun! Ahh – this was the life! Until …

A cloud covered the sun so it could not shine: I wish I was the cloud - and he became the cloud! He was so happy – until …

The wind blew the cloud all over the sky: The cloud wished: I wish I was the wind - and whoosh! he became the wind!

The wind raced here and there – what a life! Until he collided with a mountain - ouch! He thought: I cannot move the mountain. I wish I was the mountain - and he became the mountain!

He was happy as the mountain - the king looked so small, the sun’s heat didn’t bother him, clouds floated by below him, and wind bounced off him.  

Until one day, he heard: chip! chip! Chip! something was digging at his foot. It was a stone-cutter: The mountain thought: That man is stronger than me! I wish I was the stone-cutter - and he became the stonecutter again.

And from that day forward, he never wished to be anybody or anything other than – a stonecutter. And he was happy.

Or …(and this is the version I first read, which was in an Indian bookstore in a Russian translation from the communist era, which gave a powerful socialist interpretation to the story!) and from that day forward, he never bowed down on his knees before another man. It’s a man’s own weakness, not anyone else’s strength, that brings him to his knees