Jewish Fairy Tales

Proud King Hagag sat on his throne in state, and the high priest, standing by his side, read from the Holy Book, as was his daily custom. He read these words: "For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?" "Cease!" cried the king. "Who wrote those words?" "They are the words of the Holy Book," answered the high priest. "Give me the book," commanded the king. With trembling hands the high priest placed it before his majesty. King Hagag gazed earnestly at the words that had been read, and he frowned. Raising his hand, he tore the page from the book and threw it to the ground. "I, Hagag, am king," he said, "and all such passages that offend me shall be torn out." He flung the volume angrily from him while the high priest and all his courtiers looked on in astonishment. "I have heard enough for today," he said. "Too long have I delayed my hunting expedition. Let the horses be...

When Abraham was born, his father, Terah, who was one of the chief officers of King Nimrod, gave a banquet to a large number of his friends. He entertained them most sumptuously, and the merriest of the guests was the chief of the king's magicians. He was an old man, exceedingly fond of wine, and he drank deeply. The feast lasted throughout the night, and the gray dawn of early morning appeared in the sky before Terah's friends thought of rising from the table. Suddenly the old magician jumped to his feet. See, he cried, excitedly, pointing through the open door to the sky. See yon bright star in the east. It flashes across the heavens. The others looked, but said they could see nothing. Fools, shouted the old man, ye may not see, but I do. I, the wisest of the king's magicians and astrologers, tell you it is an omen. See how the brilliant star darts across the sky! It has swallowed a smaller star, and another, even a third, yet a fourth. It is an omen, I say, a portent tha...

Once upon a time there were two kings, each of whom was childless. And each one set out on a journey to discover a remedy that would make it possible for a child to be born to him. Now fate led both kings to the cave of an old sorcerer on the same day, and the sorcerer met with them at the same time. And after each had explained what it was that he sought, the two kings were amazed to discover that they both were on the same quest—each searching for a remedy so that he might be blessed with a child of his own. After they had spoken, the sorcerer said to them: I have read in the stars that each of you is destined to have a child, one a boy and one a girl. And I have also read there that these two are destined to marry. If you permit their marriage to take place, you and your descendants will share a great blessing. But if you keep them apart, for any reason, many will suffer before they are reunited.  Then the sorcerer stood up, and the kings left the cave. But before they parted th...

Long ago there was a rabbi in the city of Guadalajara in Spain who was often called upon to pray for barren women to be blessed with a child. Now this rabbi and his wife were themselves childless, and his wife could not understand why he did not pray for a child of their own. But each time the rabbi's wife would ask him about this, he would reply: If it is God's will, there is no need for a prayer. At last, however, the rabbi decided to seek a reply to his wife's burning question, and he immersed himself in the mikvah seven times, and prayed that their destiny as parents be revealed. That very night an angel appeared to the rabbi in a dream and said: You are destined to be blessed with a son, but when he reaches the age of eighteen he will disappear, and it will be many years before you see him again. Now when the rabbi awoke, he told his dream to his wife; on the one hand they were greatly relieved to learn they would have a child of their own, but on the other they were f...

During the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, King Solomon kept Asmodeus, the king of demons, as his prisoner, to prevent any of the forces of evil, which Asmodeus commanded, from interfering with the building of the Temple. When the Temple was completed, King Solomon called in Asmodeus, and told him that he was prepared to set him free if Asmodeus would first reveal a single secret to him. Asmodeus said: Tell me first, O king, what secret it is that you want to know. Solomon said: Of a great many mysteries am I master, Asmodeus, of the language of the birds, of the secrets of the wind, and of the mysteries of the Ineffable Name. But there is one secret that has eluded me so far—that is the secret of Illusion. And it is of great importance that I learn this secret, for as king I often am called upon to distinguish truth from illusion. Asmodeus nodded when he heard these words from King Solomon, and he said: I agree, King Solomon, to reveal this secret to you. But I cannot do so w...