A Wise Ruling

King Solomon sat on his throne, listening to the musicians play. The herald walked in and raised his hand for the king's attention. "Yes?"

"Milord, two women demand an audience with you."

"Very well, I will see them."

The herald inclined his head, then departed. Solomon held up a hand to stop the musicians as the herald reentered with two prostitutes who were whispering angrily to each other as they approached. One held a baby, while the other clamored for it. The herald cleared his throat noisily, and the women seemed to remember where they were. After awkward bows, one woman raised her eyes to the king and began to speak, barely keeping the anger out of her voice. "My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us. During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne."

Solomon opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, the woman holding the baby piped in. "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours!"

But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine! You know perfectly well -" What were once whispers became shouts, and the two women argued noisily, shouting at the same time.

The king rolled his eyes. "Excuse me!... Ladies?... Ahem!... Ladies... SILENCE!!!!!!!"

The two stopped shouting and looked back up at the king, waiting. "So let me get this straight," Solomon began. "You each think that the baby is yours?"

The women nodded.

"And you cannot come to any agreement?"

The women shook their heads.

"Very well." The king turned to the herald. "Bring me a sword."

The women glanced at each other. The herald placed a sword in the king's hand, then held out his hands for the baby. The woman, confused, handed the baby to the herald. "Wha - what are you gonna..."

The king looked at his reflection in the sword he held. "We shall cut the child in two. That way you may each have half."

The first woman's eyes widened. "Oh no! Don't kill him! You may give him to the other woman, just don't kill him!"

The other woman shrugged. "Well, now neither of us will have him. I suppose it is the only thing to do!"

Solomon smiled. He looked at the herald. "Give the baby to the first woman - she is his real mother."