A king once determined to build a town and selected
a site. The astrologers approved of the place on condition
that a child be walled in alive, brought voluntarily by its
mother. After three years an old woman brought a child of
about 10 years. When ready to be walled in, the boy said
to the king, “Let me ask the astrologers three questions;
if they answer correctly, then they have read the signs
aright but if not they must have been mistaken." The king
170—
granted the request and the boy asked:—"What is the
lightest, what is the sweetest and what is the hardest thing
in the world?” After three days the astrologers replied,
"The lightest is the feather, the sweetest is honey and the
hardest thing in the world is stone.” The young boy laughed
and said, "Anyone could answer like that. The lightest thing
in the world in an only child in its mother's arms. It is never
heavy. The sweetest is the mother's milk to the baby and
the hardest is for the mother to bring her child willingly
to be buried alive in the wall.” The astrologers were confounded and had to own that they had read the stars wrongly
and the child was saved.
434. A king once determined to build a town and selected
a site. The astrologers approved of the place on condition
that a child be walled in alive, brought voluntarily by its
mother. After three years an old woman brought a child of
about 10 years. When ready to be walled in, the boy said
to the king, “Let me ask the astrologers three questions;
if they answer correctly, then they have read the signs
aright but if not they must have been mistaken." The king
170 —
granted the request and the boy asked: — "What is the
lightest, what is the sweetest and what is the hardest thing
in the world?” After three days the astrologers replied,
"The lightest is the feather, the sweetest is honey and the
hardest thing in the world is stone.” The young boy laughed
and said, "Anyone could answer like that. The lightest thing
in the world in an only child in its mother's arms. It is never
heavy. The sweetest is the mother's milk to the baby and
the hardest is for the mother to bring her child willingly
to be buried alive in the wall.” The astrologers were confounded and had to own that they had read the stars wrongly
and the child was saved.
