One day, a great while ago, in a place a long way off, there was a man gifted with great wisdom and understanding. He showed both justice and mercy in all his affairs, judged rightly and without bias. As is the sad fortune of men regardless of their wisdom, he fell in love with a young woman, and with her he raised two children, one whom he called Justice, and the other whom he called Mercy.
As he raised them, he and his wife instilled in them all the wisdom and knowledge they themselves already knew, so that the day Justice sought from his father permission to go out into the world, and seek his fortune, the father showed no hesitation, but gave him his blessing and an ample offering from his fortune.
Mercy, being a young woman nearing adulthood, asked her father to come with Justice, for since birth, they had faced every challenge together, discovered every new truth one with the other. Mercy and Justice had conflicted with one another throughout life, but had never left a quarrel unresolved long. Thus, Justice desired Mercy’s company, though the pride within him denied he say so.
The father pondered this request for a while, and finally granted Mercy’s wish. Justice willingly promised to protect his sister’s life before his own, and his father parted with them with neither fear nor regret. Thus, the siblings set out on a long road to a far away city, talking all the while of the things they might do when they reached the city, whose mighty heights were as of yet unfamiliar to them.
During their journey, they found a man running along the path toward them. He sweated greatly, and desired to pass by them. However, Justice perceived within him fear, and asked that he be told what he feared. The man replied that he feared a man hunting him. Mercy looked upon him shrewdly, for she had no small experience with men, and asked another question of the man, saying, “What do you carry in that bag?” for the man did indeed carry a bag with him.
The man answered that the bag contained the tools of his trade, upon which Justice, being a man of not only wisdom, but also strength, snatched the bag from the man’s hands. He opened the bag and found within it a great many jewels, golden chalices and many gold and silver coins.
Mercy asked the man, “Have you an explanation, or shall we hold you until your pursuer comes to explain the case?”
The man, without any great willingness, confessed to having stolen the gold, jewels, and coins from a rich man on the road on which they walked. After this, the man grovelled before Mercy, that he might not be found by the man, but go free.
Mercy smiled, for her father was a man not only of wisdom and understanding, but also of great cunning.
From the man she took all his possessions but the clothes on his body, and left him to go on his way. Further along the path, they came upon a man clothed in the furs of animals, and in purple. His hands were covered with rings, and his neck held the weight of a great many necklaces of gold. On his head there was crown of jewels and gold. His face was sweaty and his breathing shallow. He asked them breathlessly, “Have you met a man along the road carrying a bag?”
Justice began to speak, but Mercy interrupted him quickly, “If we had, my lord, what of it?”
The man replied, “He has stolen items of great value from me. I must have them back!”
Justice at this time offered forth the bag, but Mercy had again perceived the man’s intent.
“If you own these items, should you not know what they are?”
The man responded hurriedly, “There is much gold, four chalices, a crown, and a great many gold coins.”
“You describe the whole of it?” Mercy asked quickly.
The man affirmed her question.
“Were you the owner of these items, you would know their sort and number better than us. As it is, you prove yourself only a companion to the other man. You doubtless wear the crown you spoke of. If you owned it or any of the other items, you would have no part in chasing the robber down, for you would then be a man of position and wealth. Beyond this, you might not even need these items.”
The man perceived that he could fool these travelers no more, and as Justice removed his jewelry, crown, and his outer garments, he begged that he might at least keep some of the jewelry, for his family was starving and in need of clothes. Justice pitied him and would have given him his wish, but Mercy again guessed the man to be lying, and stopped her brother.
Without further ado, the siblings again set off down the road, until much later when they found a man on the road, appearing near to death, and with little clothes on him. Justice’s great heart was moved to pity, and he offered to help the man, giving him companionship, food, and water. The man told a tale of how two men had come to him, stripped him of his crown, clothes, and the wealth he carried with him on his journey. Justice, this time, doubted the man and questioned him without cause, for he thought he knew the man’s intent.
Mercy, however, stopped him before he caused harm to the man, for she perceived that the man was, indeed, robbed of the necklaces and crown and the chalices and coins. She went to the man and comforted him, and she returned to him all his possessions and accompanied him to his destination. He told of a great man in a distant land who he dearly wished to meet. For this reason, he said, he had brought along a great many valuables, whose value was great, as gifts to this great man he would meet.
As they traveled along toward their own home, the siblings failed to recognize the road, for they had seldom traveled this way before, and even less times had they traveled toward home from a far away place. When they found themselves at their front gate, they fell from their conversation with each other and realized where they were. The man said goodbye to them and went in, for their gate was always open.
The siblings followed the man, and when he asked why they did, they told him that the man living here was their own father. With great joy he continued unto the house, where they were greeted by the man himself, and they were let in, and the stories of the two burglars and the king were told to all. The king learned for many years from the father, and returned to his land regularly to ensure the rule of his substitute was peaceful and prosperous.
When Justice asked Mercy why she had trusted the man’s word, and given him his valuables, she told him of the marks she had seen on the king’s head and neck, for he had worn both his jewels and his crown since the day he was crowned. Thus, she knew he possessed the jewels, the necklaces, the crown, the chalices, and the gold.
!Noah!
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