The ring of light ( folkstale from Friesland)

King Solomon was one of the wisest men who ever lived. Even the scribes and the priests approached him and asked
him for advice. And in lawsuits, there was no one in the whole world who could compare him. He was once asked
where he got that great wisdom from, but he never wanted to talk about it.

There was a secret. When he was still a prince, he had once dreamed that the angel of justice would come to him. He
gave him the ring of light and told him not to wear that ring as long as he was not yet a king. And when Solomon
awoke, he had the ring on his finger. But he did what the angel of justice had commanded him and locked the ring
in secret.

Solomon became king and then he experienced how shaped that ring was to reveal the truth to him. As he wore the
ring of light, he saw everything that was going on in the hearts of the people. That was so awful to look at and that
made him so sad that he could and only wanted to wear the ring when he was facing very difficult questions or when
he had to speak straight.

In the ring sat a large stone. It began to shine when someone spoke the truth against him, but he became dull as
soon as lies or injustice came into play. Moreover, it was revealed to him at the same time where the lies came from
and what the truth was. But as soon as the trial or other bad case was over, Solomon locked the ring in the temple
again.

And behold, a queen came to him from a far country, even the queen of Sheba. And Solomon, when he saw her,
loved her, and the queen loved Solomon. They had come for a short visit, but they liked each other so much that the
stay lasted neither a week nor a month, but it was years and during that time Solomon began to love her more and
more. But then there was a bunch of priests, who wanted to know kindly what secret Solomon actually had. With
the king himself they had come to the tiny door and now they were talking to the queen of Sheba about it. And it
came to pass, when they had made an end of commanding the king, that she danced before him. And it came to pass
on the evening when they had gathered together, that Solomon felt happy and content, and the queen said unto
him, I have great admiration for thee. Dove knows advice everywhere and Dove finds solutions in things I stand
powerless.
Tell me, what is the secret of your wisdom now? 'And then Solomon said to her,' That great wisdom comes upon me
when I wear the ring of light. I only go with him at times when I need the deepest insight, and then the Lord helps
me ’.

The queen, who already had a very sharp mind of her own, had an unbelievably strong desire to have that clear
insight once more, and asked the king, 'May I have that ring on, then?' Solomon replied: 'No, because you could not
tolerate that'. But just because he did not like her with it, she had greater heartache from it and once the king was
away, she went to the temple where the ring of light was stored, and took it .

She sat there watching it . Then at last the tendency overwhelmed her and she shrugged it off. So she went back to
the palace and there she met her servants and her friends. However, this time she saw not only what is in front of
her eyes, but the inwardness of these people was exposed to them. And then she sighed, for she saw the injustice
lurking in the souls of people who were so kind and generous on the face of it.

Her best friend saw her running. She notices that she was pregnant and also that she intended to kill her own child
as soon as it was born, in secret. Friends saw her surrounded with the worst envy for her, the Queen, in her heart.
People in whom she had full confidence, she discovered that they were contributing and stealing. They even met
some who surrounded themselves with plans to assassinate her and the king. It flew at her and she ran in sawn
haste back to the temple and put the ring back in place.

When Solomon came home in the evening and looked for her in her room, he found her weeping. He went up to her
and asked, 'Where did you get this sad?' can you forgive - I went to the temple, took the ring of light and turned it
around my finger . But I saw what lives in the hearts of all people. I'm terribly scared and saddened by words and I
can not get rid of it again '. Then Solomon answered, ‘It was not for you to see what you saw. I should not have made
my secret known to you, and you should have kept your word so as not to abuse your knowledge of my secret. I only
wear with this ring, to be able to speak right and do right. If I have this ring on my finger, then I know of everyone
who appears before me at the same time whether he is guilty or innocent. For behind this ring stands the light of
God, which gives me the wisdom to judge people in all righteousness. What you have done can never be forgiven. '
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the queen of Sheba brought forth the camels with all her precious things.
She left for her kingdom and never did she and Solomon see each other again.