Stories from Muscat
King Solomon
We have been sitting in an old style traditional coffee-house. It was evening and weather was cooler and more pleasant since I have been there last time.. Dusk was lighted up by old Moroccan style lamps hanged from the arches.. all around each table was green, with various plants growing up naturally, as if we were sitting in garden.. the chairs were large with oriental pillows to make the sit more comfortable.. We ordered ginger tea with honey and each telling a story encountered in life, or things that happened just while ago, everything. And while chatting there were so many things that had no explanation, things happening suddenly with no excuse. They said about a friend they lost during the last Eid El Adha. A decent man, young, with bright future ahead, a sudden and unexplained loss. There was so much sadness and inevitability in their voices .. so to change the theme one of the friends told us this legend .. about…. King Solomon was sitting with his entourage and talking to them when suddenly door to the hall has opened and an ugly face has looked in. It glanced onto one man there in the crowed and disappeared.. The man was a friend of King. His heart filled with fair of unexpected and he rushed to the king and fell to his knees. – Oh Solomon, who was that man that glanced into the room and disappeared? He is angel of death,- answered the King. Death!! cried King’s friend.. I beg you, King help me to get out of here, send me to India, far away, save me.. King smiled. As he was not only King over the earthborn, but over genies, so he called the genie of wind and asked him to take his friend to India. The genie of wind has blown away and broght the King’s friend to India in few seconds… Getting down to earth, he breathed revealed when he suddenly saw the angel of death among the people in crowded marketplace, approaching him. He stood astonished and asked the angel: who are you? Angel answered: I am angel of death and was sent to take your life. King’s friend asked: why you glazed at me in the court of the King? Angel answered: I was told to go and bring your soul from India and I was surprised seeing you in the court! I thought why I was sent to take your life in India if you were sitting there with King, so I thought there was a mistake, but now I see you are here….