Once upon a time, in a small kingdom, there was a young prince named Max. Prince Max was a fair and just ruler who always followed the rules of his kingdom. One day, a thief stole a valuable diamond from the royal treasure room. Prince Max decided to hold a trial to find out who the thief was.

The prince followed the rules of due process, which meant that everyone had the right to a fair trial. The first step was to gather evidence and find witnesses. The prince asked everyone in the kingdom if they had seen anything on the night of the theft. A baker, a gardener, and a royal guard all came forward to say that they had seen a stranger near the treasure room on the night of the theft.

Next, the prince listened to both sides of the story. The stranger claimed that he was innocent and had not stolen the diamond. He had an alibi that he was visiting his sick mother on the other side of the kingdom on the night of the theft.

The prince had to decide if there was enough evidence to prove the stranger guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This meant that the prince had to be sure that the stranger was guilty and that there was no other explanation for what had happened. The prince thought about the evidence and listened to the witnesses.

Finally, the prince made his verdict. He announced to the kingdom that the stranger was found guilty of the theft. The stranger was very upset and said that the prince had not followed the rules of due process. But Prince Max explained that he had followed the rules carefully and had made a fair decision based on the evidence and the testimony of the witnesses.

The story ends with the thief being punished and the diamond being returned to the royal treasure room. Prince Max learned the importance of following the rules of due process and making decisions based on the evidence and the testimony of the witnesses. He became an even better ruler and the kingdom was proud to have him as their prince.

Reflections

1. Why was it important for Prince Max to follow the rules of due process in the trial of the thief?
2. What is the meaning of "reasonable doubt"?
3. How did Prince Max use the evidence and witness testimony to make his verdict?
4. What did Prince Max learn from holding the trial of the thief?
5. Why do you think it's important to have a fair trial?
6. Can you think of a time when you had to make a decision based on evidence?
7. What would you do if you were Prince Max and had to make a verdict in the trial of the thief?