by Sugeng Hariyanto
A Miraculous Palm
Several days later the king called Abunawas again. He would give him another impossible mission.
"Abu, I want a miraculous palm," said the king.
"Your Majesty, what do you mean by a miraculous palm?" asked Abunawas surprisedly.
"The palm which grows well and gets five centimeters higher everyday."
"No palm can grow that speed, Your Majesty," said Abunawas.
"I know you are a smart man. You have to be able to get the palm. And you must plant it in the palace square so that everybody can see it."
Abunawas had no choice. He had to carry out that order. The next morning people saw a small palm tree grew in the palace square. At first people did not pay attention to it. As days gone by, they started to wonder about the tree that grew by around five centimeters each day. Soon the news spread all over the country.
When Abeydron heard the news, he did not believe it.
"I must be able to find out the trick," he said to himself.
At night Abeydron stayed in the palace square to see what was happening. Around midnight he saw Abunawas came with a palm tree on his hands. He saw Abunawas pulled out the old one and replaced it with the new one.
Abeydron tried to go secretly. Unfortunately he stumbled over a stone. He fell down. This attracted Abunawas' attention.
"What are you doing here, Abeydron?" asked Abunawas to him.
"I just think you may need my help to take care of the palm!" said the minister.
At that time he saw that Abunawas had thrown away the small palm. So, he decided not to report the case to the king because he had no proof.
Abunawas himself realized that Abeydron had already knew what he did. He must be able to find another way to solve the problem. The next day in the morning he walked to the palm tree seller's shop. Before he arrived there, he saw Abeydron bought a very small palm tree. Abunawas decided not to meet Abeydron. He just watched over him from a distance, then he went to the palace.
"Abu, I've heard about your palm tree!" said the king. "But I will not believe it before I prove it myself."
"Why don't you see it now, Your Majesty," asked Abunawas.
"I'm very busy now." the king answered.
Failing to ask the king to see the palm tree, he asked for some guards to watch the palm tree.
"Why should they watch it?"
"It's not an ordinary palm tree. If somebody touches it at night, it will lose its miracle," said Abunawas.
Then the king sent three guards to him in the evening.
"You watch the miraculous palm tree carefully. You don't have to stand by it all night. Just watch from the distance. Arrest anybody who tries to touch the plant. Because when somebody touches it at night, it will lose its miracle," said Abunawas to the guards.
Around midnight a man walked quickly to the palm tree. He brought a small palm tree. He pulled out Abunawas' palm tree and replaced it with the smaller one quickly. At that time the guard caught him.
"You're under arrest!" said one of the guards.
At the same time Abunawas came over. They brought Abeydron to the king.
"What's the matter Abu. It's midnight!" said the king.
"I'm sorry Your Majesty. The miraculous palm tree had shown its miracle for four days. It grew five centimeters each day, but Minister Abeydron pulled it out just now!"
"Did you Abey?" asked the king.
"No, no,..." Abeydron answered.
"We caught him red-handed, Your Majesty," said one of the guards.
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"Abu, I want a miraculous palm," said the king.
"Your Majesty, what do you mean by a miraculous palm?" asked Abunawas surprisedly.
"The palm which grows well and gets five centimeters higher everyday."
"No palm can grow that speed, Your Majesty," said Abunawas.
"I know you are a smart man. You have to be able to get the palm. And you must plant it in the palace square so that everybody can see it."
Abunawas had no choice. He had to carry out that order. The next morning people saw a small palm tree grew in the palace square. At first people did not pay attention to it. As days gone by, they started to wonder about the tree that grew by around five centimeters each day. Soon the news spread all over the country.
When Abeydron heard the news, he did not believe it.
"I must be able to find out the trick," he said to himself.
At night Abeydron stayed in the palace square to see what was happening. Around midnight he saw Abunawas came with a palm tree on his hands. He saw Abunawas pulled out the old one and replaced it with the new one.
Abeydron tried to go secretly. Unfortunately he stumbled over a stone. He fell down. This attracted Abunawas' attention.
"What are you doing here, Abeydron?" asked Abunawas to him.
"I just think you may need my help to take care of the palm!" said the minister.
At that time he saw that Abunawas had thrown away the small palm. So, he decided not to report the case to the king because he had no proof.
Abunawas himself realized that Abeydron had already knew what he did. He must be able to find another way to solve the problem. The next day in the morning he walked to the palm tree seller's shop. Before he arrived there, he saw Abeydron bought a very small palm tree. Abunawas decided not to meet Abeydron. He just watched over him from a distance, then he went to the palace.
"Abu, I've heard about your palm tree!" said the king. "But I will not believe it before I prove it myself."
"Why don't you see it now, Your Majesty," asked Abunawas.
"I'm very busy now." the king answered.
Failing to ask the king to see the palm tree, he asked for some guards to watch the palm tree.
"Why should they watch it?"
"It's not an ordinary palm tree. If somebody touches it at night, it will lose its miracle," said Abunawas.
Then the king sent three guards to him in the evening.
"You watch the miraculous palm tree carefully. You don't have to stand by it all night. Just watch from the distance. Arrest anybody who tries to touch the plant. Because when somebody touches it at night, it will lose its miracle," said Abunawas to the guards.
Around midnight a man walked quickly to the palm tree. He brought a small palm tree. He pulled out Abunawas' palm tree and replaced it with the smaller one quickly. At that time the guard caught him.
"You're under arrest!" said one of the guards.
At the same time Abunawas came over. They brought Abeydron to the king.
"What's the matter Abu. It's midnight!" said the king.
"I'm sorry Your Majesty. The miraculous palm tree had shown its miracle for four days. It grew five centimeters each day, but Minister Abeydron pulled it out just now!"
"Did you Abey?" asked the king.
"No, no,..." Abeydron answered.
"We caught him red-handed, Your Majesty," said one of the guards.
Back
