An Egyptian Children's Story

Naturally, I took liberties with the translation, some of which may be inadvertent. But this follows the general progression of a story told to me by Yassir, who requested that his name be included in this account:

Once upon a time there was a prince. Now this prince was not a just ruler, and he had little concern for the well-being of his subjects. In fact, he was so aloof that he lived an almost hermetic lifestyle, confining himself to the limits of his estate, utterly disinterested in the goings-on outside its walls. However the day came when he felt compelled to venture out into the surrounding community. And so he travelled from town to town, and in each he gathered all of his subjects. Now naturally, given the indifference of their ruler, his subjects were a bit frustrated. So the prince asked each, individually, what sum of money would suffice to remedy their dissatisfaction. And each answered, individually, and some asked for millions, and some asked for nearly nothing, and most asked for something in between. And the prince granted each citizen his wish. And then he returned to the seclusion of his estate, and he lit a small fire, in a dark, spacious basement room. And above the fire he built a copper bridge. He let the fire burn, and he fed it with oil and coals daily. The prince waited ten years. And every day the copper bridge got hotter. And after ten years he was the king, for his father had passed on, and he summoned all of his subjects, individually to his estate. And he called them down to the dark, spacious basement room. And one by one, he commanded them to walk out onto the copper bridge. And one by one he asked them: "How much did you ask of me, ten years ago?". And some answered "millions", and some answered "nearly nothing", and most answered "something in between". And then he asked: "And what did you do with all of it?" And those who had asked for millions stood on the scolding bridge and listed every last expense that the prince's budget had covered, while their feet sizzled on the scorched metal. And those who had asked for nearly nothing answered: "One Falafel", and stepped off the bridge unscathed.