The Magic Ring

Long, long ago there lived a mighty king called Solomon. King Solomon had a trusted advisor Beniah. Beniah was not just faithful, wise aid to the king but his dearest friend and the entire kingdom talked of their friendship. One day as the king and his courtiers were in the forest for an excursion... some people got made a saddle for a king from Russia. then Beniah told them "For the king Why Russia I will go to the sun and moon if his majesty asks me to do so. Beniah you are just bragging! said a man who has brought the saddle. Bragging? ha ha ha... Have you not seen that I have yet never failed a mission that the king has sent me on? I have never disappointed His Highness, and I would gladly give up my very life for my friendship and loyalty to him, said Beniah. The king who heard this conversation hiding did not like it. he thought that Beniah was inflicted with ego and he must set him right. One must not test friends who have proven their love and loyalty which beniah undoubtedly had. But King Solomon had mistaken his loyalty, friendship, and spirit of sacrifice for his arrogance. So he called Beniah to him. Ah! Beniah, I was wondering if you could do something for me, asked King Solomon. Just tell me your wish. I shall do whatever it takes to fulfill your majesty, said Beniah. I have heard of a ring that can make a happy man sad and a sad man happy. it makes the rich frown and the poor smile. I wish to possess it but I don't know where it is. Can you find it for me? asked King Solomon. Don't you bother about it anymore shall go to the end of the earth to find it if I have to? replied beniah. Not to the sun and moon? asked King Solomon questioningly. that too, your highness. may I leave? Yes, you may. said the king. and as Beniah left King Solomon thought very soon, you will return empty-handed for such a ring does not exist and that will be the end of your bragging. Beniah asked every jeweler in the kingdom about the strange ring. but none of them had heard of it. Some even laughed at him and thought he was a fool. When he did not find the non - existent ring, he went to other kingdoms and other countries. many months and years rolled by. King Solomon was ashamed of himself. Go travel the world and find my Beniah. Bring my loyal friend back to me. Tell him I sent him on a fool mission and no such ring exists! I should have never tested his faithfulness...

And beg him to forgive me... Ordered King Solomon to his soldiers. The army set off in different directions to look for Beniah. But even if we're to see him, they would not have known him. For Beniah had become weak and weary at not being able to fulfill his friend's wish. One day as be was resting under a tree, a boy came there looking for something... Beniah sat watching. Suddenly a girl came out of the house and called out to the boy. What are you doing? She asked. I am searching for your hairpin! Said the boy. It fell inside the house. You are searching in the wrong place! The girl replied to the boy. The sentence jolted Beniah. That's it I am looking in the wrong place! A ring that can make a happy man sad and a sad man happy, a ring that can make a rich frown and poor smile - is not a ring of gold or silver or jewels but something deeper. It is a ring about wisdom. No jeweler would have it. Only the wise teachers, philosophers, masters, and seers will know its secret! So now Beniah sought teachers, masters, and seers to ask them If they knew of such ring. Some smiled at him. Some gave him long lectures of life but none seemed to know the ring. One day as he was talking to a teacher in a cave... Beniah I don't know about the ring but I can say this much. "One day every phase of life, every journey must end" Beniah go back home, your friend must be missing you so much! Said the teacher. But Beniah did not hear the rest of the teacher's words. His concentration was on the thing that the teacher had said. He repeated them."One day every phase of life, every journey must end" That's it. This is what I was looking for! Thank you so much! He said to the teacher and Beniah made a long journey back to his kingdom. He quickly went to a jeweler and bought a ring of gold and asked him to inscrbe some words on it. He then took the ring to King Solomon. There the king was saying " my Beniah's throne is empty, why did I ever send him on an impossible mission?" Just then Beniah entered and told impossible? I found the ring, my friend! I found it! Beniah is that you? Is that really you? He ran and hugged Beniah and apologized to Beniah. Then Beniah showed the ring to King Solomon and told here's the ring, it can make a happy man sad and a sad man happy and a rich frown and poor smile. Test it! He gave it to the king and showed a merchant. He said that the merchant earns a lot of money and is one the richest man in his kingdom and is very happy. And he showed another man and said he used to be well too. But a fire burnt his godown and all he owned so he is sad. Go ahead your majesty gives the rings to them. When the merchant read it he became sad. And when the other man read it he felt better and thanked his majesty. Then the king said to Beniah that only you could bring such wisdom to me. 

Thank you! Then a courtier asked but what's written on the ring? Then he was asked to read it aloud as everyone could hear. Then the king said from now on I shall wear this ring all the time to remind me to be humble and grateful for all that I have because everything one day this too shall pass. King Solomon understood that he should never test loyalty and that the meaning of the lines was as well.