The king complained about the pain in his feet from walking on the rough, stony roads during a trip through his country. He ordered his people to cover every road with leather to solve this, which would be extremely expensive. However, one wise servant suggested simply making shoes for the king's feet instead of changing the entire road system, which the king realized was a better solution. The story teaches that to make the world a better place, one should focus on changing themselves through improving their own heart and behavior, rather than trying to force others to change, as people have more control over their own actions than those of others.