(no subject)
Once upon a time, there was a wise and mighty king, who commanded men and women, spirits of the earth and spirits of the air. One day, he called all of his wise men to him, and said, "I desire an object that will keep me wise when I might otherwise falter--an object that will remind me of the transience of things, and sober me when I am filled with joy and cheer me when I am plagued with sorrow."
And his wise men asked for a month in which to think on and create this thing, but when a month had passed, they came before the king empty-handed and asked his forgiveness.
So the king called the spirits of the earth and the spirits of the air before him, and made his request again. And the spirits asked for a month in which to think on and create this thing, but when a month had passed, they came before the king empty-handed and asked his forgiviness.
And so, the king called a djinn before him, and made his request a third time; and the djinn asked for a month in which to think on and create this thing, and when a month had passed, he came before the king.
"Well? Have you made this thing that I desire?" asked the king, and the djinn gave him a plain golden ring.
On it were inscribed the following words: "This, Too, Shall Pass."
And his wise men asked for a month in which to think on and create this thing, but when a month had passed, they came before the king empty-handed and asked his forgiveness.
So the king called the spirits of the earth and the spirits of the air before him, and made his request again. And the spirits asked for a month in which to think on and create this thing, but when a month had passed, they came before the king empty-handed and asked his forgiviness.
And so, the king called a djinn before him, and made his request a third time; and the djinn asked for a month in which to think on and create this thing, and when a month had passed, he came before the king.
"Well? Have you made this thing that I desire?" asked the king, and the djinn gave him a plain golden ring.
On it were inscribed the following words: "This, Too, Shall Pass."