by Sugeng Hariyanto
Abunawas Came to the Throne
All the ministers and important persons in the country were supposed to see the king that day. The king noticed that Abunawas did not come to the palace. He sent a guard to call him.
Soon Abunawas came to the palace. That time he knew that the king was angry with him. He did not dare to look at the king's face.
"Abu, why do you not want to see me today?" asked the king shortly.
"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty. I have a lot of works to do," answered Abunawas.
"So, you think your works are more important than me?" asked the king angrily.
Abunawas was silent. Then the king continued, "I'd like to ask you some questions. You have to answer them correctly. If you can't, you'll be punished!"
"What are they, Your Majesty?"
"First, what is God doing now? Second, how many stars are there in the sky? And finally, where is the centre of the earth?" asked the king
"I'm so sorry, You Majesty. I can't answer such questions at once. Your Majesty should fulfill one condition before I answer the questions," said the smart man.
"What is it?" asked the king.
"If you are willing to get down from your throne, I'll sit on it and answer your questions," answered Abunawas.
The king got down from the throne. Abunawas sat on it. His feet stepped on a mat made of a piece of goat skin.
"Abunawas, answer my questions!" said the king who was at the time standing on the floor.
"Your first question is what God is doing today. Just now God is getting you down from the throne and lifting up a layman, Abunawas, to the throne of this country," answered he.
There was a silence before the king asked, "What about the second question? How many stars are there in the sky?"
"Your Majesty, if you really want to know the number of the stars in the sky, let me tell you," said Abunawas. His right hand took the goat skin from his feet. "The number of the stars is the same as the number of the fur on this goat skin. You can count them, if you don't believe me."
"Who in the world can count the goat fur?" asked the king a little angrily.
Abunawas answered quickly. "The same case happens to the stars. Who in the world can count the stars? Only God knows!"
"All right. Now I want to know, where is the center of the earth. Answer it quickly!"
Abunawas quickly grabbed the spear beside him. He threw it to the floor. It stood just in front of the king.
"Your Majesty, that is the center of the earth. If you don't believe me, order your people to measure its distance from the West, East, North and South!"
"Abu, who can measure the distance?" asked the king.
"You are right, Your Majesty. Only God knows the center point, not Abunawas nor King Aaron," Abunawas answered calmly.
As he heard the answer, the king realized that Abunawas was really a smart and wise man. He loved him more than before.
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Soon Abunawas came to the palace. That time he knew that the king was angry with him. He did not dare to look at the king's face.
"Abu, why do you not want to see me today?" asked the king shortly.
"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty. I have a lot of works to do," answered Abunawas.
"So, you think your works are more important than me?" asked the king angrily.
Abunawas was silent. Then the king continued, "I'd like to ask you some questions. You have to answer them correctly. If you can't, you'll be punished!"
"What are they, Your Majesty?"
"First, what is God doing now? Second, how many stars are there in the sky? And finally, where is the centre of the earth?" asked the king
"I'm so sorry, You Majesty. I can't answer such questions at once. Your Majesty should fulfill one condition before I answer the questions," said the smart man.
"What is it?" asked the king.
"If you are willing to get down from your throne, I'll sit on it and answer your questions," answered Abunawas.
The king got down from the throne. Abunawas sat on it. His feet stepped on a mat made of a piece of goat skin.
"Abunawas, answer my questions!" said the king who was at the time standing on the floor.
"Your first question is what God is doing today. Just now God is getting you down from the throne and lifting up a layman, Abunawas, to the throne of this country," answered he.
There was a silence before the king asked, "What about the second question? How many stars are there in the sky?"
"Your Majesty, if you really want to know the number of the stars in the sky, let me tell you," said Abunawas. His right hand took the goat skin from his feet. "The number of the stars is the same as the number of the fur on this goat skin. You can count them, if you don't believe me."
"Who in the world can count the goat fur?" asked the king a little angrily.
Abunawas answered quickly. "The same case happens to the stars. Who in the world can count the stars? Only God knows!"
"All right. Now I want to know, where is the center of the earth. Answer it quickly!"
Abunawas quickly grabbed the spear beside him. He threw it to the floor. It stood just in front of the king.
"Your Majesty, that is the center of the earth. If you don't believe me, order your people to measure its distance from the West, East, North and South!"
"Abu, who can measure the distance?" asked the king.
"You are right, Your Majesty. Only God knows the center point, not Abunawas nor King Aaron," Abunawas answered calmly.
As he heard the answer, the king realized that Abunawas was really a smart and wise man. He loved him more than before.
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