( Story told by Swami Vivekananda )
Do you remember the story of Solon and Croesus? The king said to the great sage that Asia Minor was a very happy place.
And the sage asked him, ‘Who is the happiest man? I have not seen anyone very happy.’
‘Nonsense,’ said Croesus, ‘I am the happiest man in the world.’
‘Wait, sir, till the end of your life; don’t be in a hurry,’ replied the sage and went away.
In course of time that king was conquered by the Persians, and they ordered him to be burnt alive. The funeral pyre was prepared and when poor Croesus saw it, he cried aloud ‘Solon! Solon!’
On being asked to whom he referred, he told his story, and the Persian emperor was touched, and saved his life. (CW, 1:409)
Source: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 1/Lectures And Discourses/Steps To Realisation