LIFE OF SULAIMAN AND HIS WISDOM

Long,long ago,there loved a king,Sulaiman by name.he was just and fair to all.He was learned and kind.His wisdom became a proverb.People called him Sulaiman,the wise.

There are many stories about the justice and wisdom of Sulaiman.

One day he was siting in his court.At that time ,two women came to him.One of them had a dead baby in her arms.She said On wise king!the baby in my arms is hers:and the living one in her arms in mine.Last night her baby died.At dead of night,she entered into my room with it.She placed it in my bed and stole away my baby from my side.Now,oh wise king!have mercy on me and let me have my darling back.''So saying,she burst into tears and fell at the feet of the king.

No,no your Majesty!cried out the other woman,that dead baby is hers and this one in my lap is mine.Please,oh king,do not listen to her.She is a liar.She is cheat.Saying this,she held the baby in her arms close to her  bosom.

The king turned to the first woman and said,Have you any witness?Can anybody prove that the living baby is yours?

No,your Majesty!We live at the far end of the village.We have no other close  neighbours.Nobody has yet seen my new-born baby,replied the woman.

The king turned to the other woman and asked,Dose any of your neighbours know your baby?

No,your Majesty!None has  visited my house after it's birth,''said the second woman.

The king was now in a fix.It was a strange case.There was none to prove it.He looked at the woman and the babies.He observed their faces closely.He sat thinking for a minute or two.He then turned to the woman and said,It's a peculiar case.I like to cut the living baby into two pieces and divide them between you.Now,let me have it,So saying he stretched his left hand to have it and drew out a sword with his right hand.

The second woman handed over the baby to the king.She neither wept nor said anything.But the first woman could not bear the sight.She cried out in fear.She fell at the feet of the king saying,Don't kill the baby,oh wise king!It's hers,let it live with her.''

Now everything was clear to the king.He raised the woman from this feet and said,A mother cannot push her darling into the jaws of death.That woman is not it's mother.You are the real mother of the baby because you withdrew your claim and wished to see it alive.Now take it back and live happily with it,''So saying the king gave the baby to the real mother.

All present in the court were amazed but happy.Tears of joy rolled down the cheeks of the mother.she thanked the wise king and left the court with her darling in her arms.