Even the legendary King Solomon, the wisest man of antiquity, falls victim to his own imperial pride. Lacking compassion, he takes revenge on two innocent lovers causing their separation and untold grief and confusion. But God comes to their rescue, and Solomon, repenting his arrogance and cruelty, bows to His Judgment.
It was the custom of the wise King Solomon to go among his people and listen to their complaints and advice. So they would speak freely, he disguised himself as a beggar. One day, as he walked through the poor section of town he came to a little hut. Now in this miserable house lived a widow and her only daughter, so poor they ate nothing but bread, a little milk and oil. Nothing else, every day of the year they ate the same thing. The king knocked at the door, and the mother came out. "Please," he said, "could you give me something to eat? I'm very hungry for I have eaten nothing all day."
"Come in, good sir," said the mother, "come in and sit down. We are very poor, but since you, too, are hungry I shall divide what we have for three instead of two." Solomon marveled at the woman's generosity, but he was also struck by the daughter's extraordinary beauty, the likes of which he had never seen before.
When they finishing eating, he said, "Do you know who I am?" And they said, "No, sir, we have never seen you before." He removed his disguise, and told them he was King Solomon. They bowed before him in awe, and kissed his hand. "Forgive us, your majesty, for giving you such a poor meal, but it was all we have." "Don't apologize," he said, "I came only to learn about my people, and help the good and virtuous among them. I see that you have noble hearts, and I will repay you tenfold for your kindness. I ask only one thing: when your daughter is ready to marry, please consult me beforehand."
Mother and daughter promised to do as he asked. When the King returned to his palace, he sent his servants to their hut loaded down with enough money and food to last them the rest of their lives. Now they were wealthy, and very content.
Years went by, one day after another, one year after another. The daughter grew up, and became more beautiful than ever. Finally, it was time for her to marry, and she became engaged to the son of a rich merchant. The mother, however, busy with wedding preparations, forgot her promise to the King.
In those ancient times, it was the Jewish custom to carry the bride-to-be in a litter through the town before the wedding. On the day of the procession, the elegantly dressed girl passed in front of the king's palace accompanied by all the wedding guests. On hearing the sounds of merrymaking in the streets, the king called his servant to him, and asked, "Who is being married?" The servant replied, "The daughter of a rich old lady." Solomon leaned over the balcony, and recognized the girl he had befriended. "Well," he said, "I made them rich, and they promised to consult me before the marriage. They have disobeyed my orders, and for that -- I will punish them."
As everyone knows, Solomon ruled over the birds, as well as men, because he spoke their language. He called all the birds together, and to the eagle, he said, "Take that girl seated on the litter to a castle in the sea. Be sure that she is well fed, and lacks nothing. Give her everything she wants."
The eagle carried out the king's orders. He lifted her up in his beak, and flew to the castle on a lonely island in the sea. For a long time, the girl cried every day, every day. But the eagle was good to her, brought her all her meals, clothes, shawls, and books, articles which he robbed from a town on the mainland. Soon the girl lost her fear of the eagle.
Meanwhile, the bridegroom waited impatiently for his bride-to-be. When four days had passed, and she did not appear, he spoke to his mother, "I cannot stay here any longer. I must search for my beloved bride, and I will not rest until I find her." "Where will you go, my son?" asked his mother anxiously. "I don't know where to look," he replied, "but I will go wherever God leads me. He bid her good bye, and set sail in a small boat. On and on he traveled until he reached the castle in the middle of the sea. Tired and having no place to go, he covered himself with his cloak, and lay down at the castle door to sleep.
At that moment, the girl was strolling along the turrets. As she looked down from her tower to the castle gates, she saw a bulky bundle. Leaning over to get a better view, she recognized her betrothed. First, she called to him until he awakened from his sleep. Then she made a stout rope of the shawls, and threw it down to him. He tied it around his waist, and was hauled up to the tower. "My treasure my love," he cried, as he clasped her in his arms, "we are united once again. God separated us, and now God has brought us together." They embraced again and again, and told each other all that had happened since the day of her disappearance. She told him how the eagle brought her food every day, and now would bring enough for both of them.
The days passed pleasantly until one day, he said to her. "Why don't we get married?" "But how?" she asked. "Who will perform the ceremony?" "Let us ask God to marry us, he said eagerly. "What is better than the ceremony that God performs?" The girl agreed to her fiance's suggestion. Both of them knelt down to pray. The angels flew down from heaven, and pronounced them man and wife, and gave them a ketuba, the sacred contract that confirmed their marriage.
For a year, they lived in the castle together. Then a child was born to them, the next year, another, and so on until they had four children. Meanwhile King Solomon forgot about them, occupied as he was day and night with the affairs of state.
The eagle continued to rob the town until there was nothing left. This made the people so angry that they complained to the king. "My lord", they said, "your eagle has robbed us of everything we own. Again the king called all the birds together, but this time he admonished them. "I have been told," he said sternly, "that one of you has robbed the town of all their possessions. Who of you committed this crime?" The eagle confessed, but said, "I did it on your orders, your majesty."
The king then ordered the eagle to bring the whole family to his palace. Soon mother, father, and the four children stood before the king. "Do you realize that you have committed a terrible sin. Your marriage is illegal." "No," they answered, "our marriage is legal for God himself married us." Then they showed him the document signed by the angels. Solomon read it. "How wonderful," he said. "Even though I am king, wise and just, I have not been able to keep you apart. God in his divine justice has united you forever. And I cannot contradict him. From this moment on you are free, and I wish you every happiness."
They thanked him and kissed his hand, and were very happy indeed for the rest of their lives.
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