In a faraway land lived a mighty ruler, whose name was King Nazim. Now this king had an exceptionally beautiful daughter, who was his only child, and the king loved her more than life itself. Her eyes were blue, her lips red, and her smile was like the sun at midday.
Kings came from a great distance to meet her, and many wealthy princes requested her hand in marriage.
But one and all, King Nazim turned them down, finding every suitor flawed and unworthy of his daughter. Still, those who wanted her were like bees buzzing around the hive, and for each prince he turned away two others arrived who sought her hand.
And it is true that the princess was worthy of all this attention, for she was not only beautiful and charming, but also very pious and pure. She loved to study so much that she had to have one tutor after another, for she soon learned everything they knew. So her father was understandably proud and protective of her, and demanded the highest standards of those who sought her hand.
Now despite all his efforts to see that the princess found a perfect match, King Nazim was haunted by a recurrent night mare. In these dreams he was told that the lucky one who was destined to marry his daughter was none other than his Hebrew slave, whose name was Samuel. Now of course this was preposterous, for not only was Samuel a slave, but he was also an old man, more than ninety years old. It is true that he was of a great size, and was still strong as an ox, and capable of causing a hundred armed men to take to their heels by making a single move.
But as a suitor he simply could not even be considered.
At first the king did not pay any attention to these dreams, but when they kept recurring, he became anxious. At last he called his wise men together and told them the dream and asked for their advice. They discussed many solutions, but at last they told the king to command the slave Samuel to go into the wilderness in search of his prophet Moses, since he was a Hebrew. And to send him on this quest with a riddle to which he must have the answer before he could return. The riddle was: It is possible to contain a garden in the world. But how can the world be contained in a garden? The advisers laughed heartily when they concocted this riddle, for they were quite certain it could not be answered. And the king agreed that this was a fine way to get rid of the worrisome fellow, for he would not dare return until he had completed the quest.
So it was that the slave Samuel was sent on his way the next morning. And although he had been given supplies to last him for many months, for he could carry a great load with ease, still he wept the whole way. For he understood that he was being sent into exile, but he could not imagine why, since he had been a faithful and dependable slave all of his life. And even though he felt that it was surely impossible to find Moses the Redeemer in this world, still he set out in search of him, since that is what he had been commanded to do.
Samuel traveled for many months on his quest, and all the time he was filled with grief. For every day it became more and more apparent that his mission was an impossible one, and all who heard of the reason for his quest laughed at him and took him for a fool. One day when Samuel was very tired, and began to feel like an old man for the first time, he sat down to rest under a large tree in the wilderness. He was about to fall asleep when he heard a voice whispering to him which said: Where are you going? Samuel quickly sat up and looked around, but there was no one to be seen. Then he became frightened, for perhaps he had been found by an enemy, and the most dangerous enemy is one who cannot be seen. Then the voice spoke again and repeated the question. This time Samuel found his voice and said: Who is speaking to me? And the voice replied:
It is I, the tree you are sitting beneath. Samuel could hardly believe his ears, but since there was no one to be seen in the wilderness, and no one was hiding in the tree, there' did not seem to be any other explanation.
Just then the tree asked its question for the third time, and Samuel said: I am searching for Moses, so that I may ask him a question. If that is so, said the tree, then I have one request to make—when you find Moses, please ask him why a giant tree such as I am does not bear any fruit. For if there were ripe and juicy fruit on my branches, a hungry man like yourself would have been able to break his fast and delight in it. Yes, said Samuel, I will certainly fulfill your request if I succeed in finding Moses. After a good long rest, Samuel got up and continued on his endless way. He reached a hill overlooking a steep valley, and saw that there was something at the base of it, although he could not quite make out what it was. So he traveled down to the bottom of the valley, and there he found two marble pools, one next to the other. One pool had been built out of black marble and was filled with dark water, while the other was made of white marble, and was filled with clear water, but gave forth a repugnant odor, so that no traveler would risk tasting it, and if he did, he would discover it was bitter indeed.
Now when Samuel saw the two pools filled with water, his soul was filled with longing to rest there and satisfy his thirst.
And when he realized that neither pool contained water that was any good for drinking, he was very disappointed. Then, as he was sitting there, he suddenly heard a voice speaking to him as if from far away. It was a muddled and murky voice, but Samuel could make out its words. The voice asked him where he was going. Again Samuel looked around and saw that no one else was there, and he was still trying to figure out who had spoken when the voice repeated its question. Who is it that is speaking? asked Samuel. It is I, the voice of the two pools, came the reply. Then Samuel answered the voice's question and told it of his quest. If that is the case, said the voice, when you reach Moses will you please ask him why it is that we pools, made of the finest marble, have waters that are muddy and bitter?
For if they had been clear and sweet a sad and exhausted traveler like yourself would have been able to quench his thirst. And Samuel said that he would gladly ask Moses this question, should he ever succeed in finding him.
After he had rested by the side of the two pools, Samuel got up and went on his way. He walked on for days and weeks and months, his tired body swinging from side to side, his hands rising and falling, his eyes blurry, his feet worn and aching. Tears washed over his cheeks, and his sadness ate away at his patience and strength. After all, who knew where Moses the Redeemer might be found? For since he had ascended Mount Nebo he had never been seen again, and now the poor slave Samuel had been commanded to seek him out!
Then it happened after many years had passed that Samuel reached a mountain in the wilderness. Since he did not have a map to guide him, he did not know where he was, but he was very pleased to find at the base of that mountain a fine fig tree, filled with ripe figs. He plucked one of them and tasted it, and it seemed to him as sweet as the very fruit of Paradise. Then Samuel ate his fill of those delicious figs, and lay down to sleep. He slept for a long time, and when he woke up he saw that he was sleeping in a shadow, where before he had been sleeping in the sun, and he assumed that the day had passed and the night fallen.
He did not realize that he had slept through a day and a night, and that it was already the next day. And why did he not see the sun? Because someone was standing above him, who cast a long shadow. And whose shadow was it? It belonged to Moses, who had come down from the peak of that mountain where he made his home, because he knew that the slave Samuel had finally found him. And where was it that Samuel had come? To Mount Nebo in the wilderness of the Sinai, for that is where Moses makes his home.
So it was that when Samuel sat up and saw the man standing over him, whose face shone with a beautiful glow and whose long beard was pure white, Samuel suddenly knew that he had succeeded in his quest, for the dignified presence who stood there could be none other than Moses the Redeemer himself.
Then Samuel lowered his eyes and said in a whisper: Tell me, good sir, what is your name? Surely you know who I am, answered the old man. I am the one you have been searching for all these years. And although you have doubted so many times that you would ever find me, you should know that it was destined before you were born that we should meet today. Now, tell me, are there any questions you want me to answer? For a moment Samuel was dizzy, since his long search had come to so sudden a conclusion, and for a moment the three questions that had been on his tongue day and night were lost to him, as if they had flown away. Then his memory was restored, and he said to Moses-. It is possible to contain a garden in the world. But how can the world be contained in a garden? That should be obvious to a man of the Hebrew faith, such as yourself, said Moses, for is it not true that this world is God's garden? And Samuel smiled when he heard this, for the riddle had tormented him all those years, and now that he knew the solution, it seemed so simple that he was amazed it had never occurred to him.
After this Samuel remembered the question he had brought from the giant tree, and asked Moses why it was that such a magnificent tree did not bear fruit. And Moses said: It is true that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not bless this tree with abundant fruit, but that is because God gave it a very special virtue among all the other trees in the world. And what is that virtue? It is to be found in the leaves of that tree, for whoever takes a handful of those green leaves from its branches and cooks them in water and drinks the potion will be cured of any sickness or disease, and become a healthy man in his body and soul. Then Samuel asked the third question he had promised to bring to Moses, that of the two pools. And Moses said: It is true that the water of these pools is not intended for drinking. But that is because they have another purpose, unique among the waters of the world. And what is that? It happens that any man who immerses himself in the black pool, and then immerses himself in the white one, will in an instant become a young man of eighteen, and the same holds true for a woman, who will also become young again. But anyone who dips himself in the white pool first and then in the black will lose his youth and become a very old man full of days, very bent and worn. Then Samuel kissed the hands of Moses and thanked Moses from the bottom of his heart for seeing fit to meet him there at the foot of Mount Nebo. Samuel then made his way back to the two pools. There he told the voice of the pools all that Moses had said, and then took off his clothes, and immersed himself in the black pool. After this he entered the white pool, and when he emerged from it he was a young handsome lad of eighteen, feeling stronger than he had ever felt in his life. So it was that Samuel left those pools singing and giving thanks to the Lord and to Moses for having revealed this secret to him, and making it possible for that miracle to take place. And every time he reached a body of water, he leaned over it to study his reflection, and at last he came to the happy conclusion that the wonderful transformation had indeed taken place for good.
Now Samuel felt light, and he ran like a deer. Before long he covered a vast distance and arrived at the great tree. When he stood beneath it, he told the tree the secret of its healing leaves, as Moses had told him, and then he climbed up the trunk of the tree and filled his bag with those green leaves, for he knew that such a wonderful cure would be invaluable. After this Samuel continued on his way, and his singing echoed in the empty fields, and there was no end to his happiness. For as much as he walked his feet retained their spring, and the way seemed shortened, and only a few days passed before he reached the gates of the city from which he had departed so long ago.
Now as soon as he had entered the city, Samuel saw that everyone was wearing black, and that their eyes were downcast and full of tears. He wondered what could have happened, and thought that perhaps the king had died. Then he asked one of the men he saw in the street, and he learned that not long after he had left on his quest the king's beloved daughter had fallen into a deep sleep, from which she could not be wakened. She had slept this way ever since, and it was as if a dark cloud had covered that city, for since then the lives of the people had grown sad and bitter, for they had dearly loved the princess. As for the king, his despair was so great that he had retreated to his chamber and was neither seen nor heard from. Of course doctors had come from all over the world, but none had been able to cure her. In his desperation the king had it announced that whoever cured the princess would be married to her, and would also receive half of the kingdom.
When Samuel heard this, he decided at once to bring about her cure. He quickly built a house near the palace, and on the door he hung a sign that identified him as a doctor. And when the messengers of the king passed the house and saw the sign, they came to the young doctor, whom no one, of course, recognized, and asked him if he was wise enough to cure the princess.
Samuel told them that this indeed was the case, and he assured them that he could put a quick end to her long coma.
So it was that the next day Samuel went to the palace and when he arrived he was brought to the king at once. The king was surprised to see such a young doctor, but he was not about to turn down any possible cure. Then Samuel was taken into the presence of the princess, who slept on her bed with all the signs of life, although she was very pale. She was just as beautiful as ever, as if she had not aged, but she could not be awakened. So Samuel went about his work and took out a handful of the leaves of the giant tree and boiled them in water. And when the steam of the boiling water had filled the room, the princess breathed it in and began to stir. All of a sudden her eyes opened, and she smiled. And all who were present let out a cry of delight, for the princess had been saved at last, and brought out of her endless sleep. Then Samuel offered her a long wooden spoon full of the cool boiled water, and put it near her lips. And after she had swallowed it the princess regained her color and was no longer as pale as death. Then she sat up and looked at the handsome doctor, and in that moment she lost her heart to him.
So it was that soon the wedding between the young doctor and the princess took place, attended by everyone in the city.
Never had there been a wedding such as that, and the people spoke of it for years to come. And after the wedding Samuel revealed his true identity to the king and his bride. At first they refused to believe what he said, but after he described every detail of his quest, and of the long years he had spent in the wilderness, they realized that what he said must be true. Then the king asked if Moses had solved the riddle, since the king and his advisers had considered it to have no solution. Samuel then told them what Moses had said: that the garden which could contain the world was this world, since it is God's garden. And the king was so moved by the wisdom of the reply that he decided then and there to become a Jew, and the princess also chose to make this her faith.
So it was that the king and his son-in-law Samuel began to study the Torah together every day. And from its holy words the king drew the wisdom to guide him in his judgments, so that his rulings were just and merciful. And when the king's life came to an end, Samuel and the princess ascended to the throne and ruled the kingdom together. Their love for each other was legendary, and they were the wisest rulers since the days of Joseph in Egypt, and the finest leaders since the days of Moses the Redeemer himself.