Determined to make everyone happy, a well-meaning king issues an unusual decree: sadness is forbidden throughout the kingdom. At first, the decision seems reasonable, but chaos soon follows as all forms of sadness disappear. Realizing that something essential is missing, a young girl sets out in search of the kingdom’s lost sorrows and discovers that joy and sadness cannot exist without one another.

Part of the Fables by Rubem Alves collection, this original fable explores the relationship between happiness and grief with wisdom, humor, and emotional depth. Rubem Alves challenges the idea that difficult feelings should be avoided, offering instead a nuanced understanding of how emotions shape human experience.

Veridiana Scarpelli’s illustrations enrich the story through expressive characters and imaginative settings, giving visual form to abstract emotions and helping readers engage with the book’s philosophical themes in an accessible and memorable way.