Told within a religious context, this story celebrate the power of love. Although many Sephardic Jews became Christians during their long stay in Spain, this is a reverse tale; the conversion of a Spanish princess to Judaism.
Once there was a hajan whose prayers helped many childless women to conceive. One day his wife said, "Pray for us for it is time we had a child." Day after day, the hajan recited prayers until finally his wife announced she was pregnant. Nine months later, a baby boy was born "with one side of his face to the sun, and the other to the moon". This meant that the boy would be both lucky and unlucky in life. The mother cared for him as if he were a gift from heaven.
At the age of two, the boy became attached to a tiny flower pot in the garden. He loved the little plant, and watered it every day. To make it grow better, he placed it on the roof in the sun. Sure enough, it grew, like the boy himself, bigger every year. In his eighteenth year, he was sent to study in his father's Yeshiva. Although busy with studies, he climbed to the roof every day to care for his flower pot.
One day, as he tended the plant he heard a strange whirring noise. From a distance, he saw an eagle fly towards him, and land on the roof. Quickly, the bird lifted him up in his beak and carried him off. They flew to a distant town, and gently the eagle let him down into the king's garden. Then the bird disappeared.
Alone in a strange place, the bewildered boy wandered about the garden searching for a place to rest for the night. The following morning, the king, on his customary early morning stroll, discovered the handsome young man seated in a corner. "Well," he said, " who are you, and what brings you here?" "I'm a Jew," said the boy, "and I am here through no fault of my own; an eagle carried me to your palace." "Have no fear," said the king kindly, and led the young man to a cottage in the middle of the garden. "Here," he said, "this house is yours, and your meals will be sent to you every day." But the boy protested, " Your majesty, please pardon me, I'm a Jew, and cannot eat your food."
The king was not offended, and ordered food from the Jewish part of town. In addition, he brought him the Sacred Scriptures so he could continue his studies. Time passed, and one night, quite by chance, the king's daughter was walking in the garden to enjoy the night air fragrant with the sweet aroma of flowers. She saw the light from the boy's room, and looked through the window. As soon as her gaze fell upon his handsome face, she fell in love with him. She knocked on his door once, twice, and three times but he did not raise his eyes from the book. On the fourth knock. she said angrily, "Open the door, I am the kingÕs daughter.'" And he replied, "I don't care who you are, I'm busy. What do you want?" "I'm just curious," she said, "to see who is locked up in this room." "I am not locked up, he said, "your father put me here, and takes care of me." "But I am in love with you," said the princess. "That cannot be," he said, you are Spanish and I am Jewish, and it is against the law of my people for Jews and Christians to marry. "I will renounce my own faith," she pleaded, "in order to marry you." "Listen," he said, "my religion is very severe about such matters." But she insisted, "Even if they skin me alive I am going to marry youÓ, and hurried back to her own room.
When she came again the next night, he said, "If you want to marry me you must first become a Jew. Then you must follow our laws faithfully -- cut your nails, go to the mikva, the ritual bath, take a Hebrew name, and keep your home according to the rules of kasher. The God of Abraham is all powerful, but merciful as well. He performs miracles, revives the dead, cures the sick, and makes childbirth bearable."
"I will do as you wish," she said. "Tomorrow I will come dressed in new, clean clothes. Perform the initiation rites so that I can become a Jew, and we can be married." The next night, the young man led her to the mikva, recited the berajah, the benedictions, and gave her the name of Sarah. "You are Sarah," he said, "and I am Solomon."
Then angels came down from heaven and they were married. He put his ring on her finger as proof of their marriage. Without telling any one about her marriage, the bride returned to her own room. But the following morning when servants brought her breakfast, she refused everything but coffee with milk saying she was sick and did not feel like eating.
That very day, while Solomon was in the garden, the same eagle came, lifted him up, and carried him back to the roof of his own home. His parents, dressed in sackcloth and ashes since his disappearance, heard the noise, and rushed upstairs. There they found Solomon and were overjoyed at seeing him again, safe and sound.
Meanwhile, when night fell, Sarah went to Solomon's room as was her custom. She searched every room, and every nook and cranny of the garden, but he was nowhere to be found. Sadly returning to her room, she wept bitter tears until she became ill with a high fever. She took to her bed, and ate nothing except an occasional glass of milk.
And the husband fared no better than his wife. Solomon also fell sick, and kept on calling the name of Sarah. "My son, said the anxious father, "why are you so sad, and always lying in bed? Did you, by chance, leave a sweetheart behind?" "Yes, father," he said, someone who renounced her religion and throne to marry me. My son, said the father, don't grieve so. I will find her and bring her back."
And from that day on the father searched for the girl. One day he arrived at the citv where the king lived. On entering, he noticed a great disturbance. What's going on?"
he asked a passerby. "The king's only daughter," he said, "is gravely ill. She's dying and refuses any food." "Sir", said the father, "I am a doctor. Go tell the king that, if it pleases him, I will visit his daughter, and with God's help, I will cure her." The people ran to tell the king, and he called him to the palace. "Doctor," he said in a trembling voice, if you can save my child's life, I will give you anything you ask."
The doctor entered the sickroom, and asked to be left alone with the patient. When everyone had left he approached her, now almost dead, and whispered, "Sarah, Sarah." She opened her eyes, frightened because nobody knew that name except her and her husband. "What is the matter with you?" he asked her. And rising in the bed with great effort, she said, "I am dying because of my love for Solomon. "Be of good cheer," he said, "I am Solomon's father, and have come to help you. I'm going to kill a chicken and make soup for you. You must eat some every two hours, as if it were medicine." On hearing these words, Sarah felt better, almost well, and after a few days, recovered entirely from her illness.
Then the doctor said, "Sarah, I must return to my son who is also afflicted with the same illness. Listen carefully, I have a plan to bring us all together. Take this bottle of yellow liquid and sponge your whole body with it. I will tell your father that you have had a relapse, and must go to another climate to recuperate. Then we will both leave.
Joyfully, Sarah followed her father-in-law's orders. When her father saw her yellow skin, he was so alarmed he gave the doctor permission to take his daughter away. "Your majesty," said the doctor, "I believe the good air of my town will make her well. If she agrees we will leave immediately." With her consent, the trip was prepared, and the two boarded ship.
Once on the high seas, the father sent a telegram to the king telling him that his daughter had died, and they had had to bury her at sea. After many days, the arduous
journey was over. As they entered the narrow street where the hajan lived they heard shouts and lamentations. "What the matter? cried Sarah. "Oh," said a Jew who was among the crowd, "A moment ago, the hajan's only son died.
Sarah wrung her hands in sorrow, and demanded to see Solomon. "No, no," the family said, "you must not see him now. Impatiently, she rushed past them, and threw her arms around her dead husband, and cried, "Solomon, you told me the God of Israel is powerful and merciful. I, who renounced my own religion and my throne to marry you, beg the God of Israel to bring you back to life.Ó A few moments went by, and suddenly Solomon opened his eyes, raised himself up, and said, "Because of your love for me, God has returned me to life."
And they had a good marriage and lived happily together for many years.
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