When
an ordinary man comes before the king he salutes him thusly:
"May the king live forever!" But once lived
a man who refused to say this obligatory phrase, instead
substituting: "There is no king like God." After
many visits to the king, and many repetitions of this
heretical phrase, the king grew angry and plotted to destroy
the man. He gave the man two silver rings and told him
they were a present to keep, but in reality the king meant
to avenge himself through them.
The man, whom everybody now called No-King-as-God, took
the rings, put them into a dried and empty ram's horn,
and gave them to his wife to keep for him. A week later
the king called No-King-as-God and sent him to a distant
village, to tell the people to come and help build up
the city walls. As soon as he had gone the king sent for
the man's wife and offered her a thousand cowries (imported
small shells used as money or ornaments), and a hundred
head-cloths and body-cloths, if she would give him that
which her husband had entrusted to her. Tempted by the
splendid presents the wife agreed and brought the ram's
horn, and when the king looked inside, there were the
two rings safely stored.
He placed them back in the horn, and gave it to his servants
with instructions to throw it far into a lake. They did
so, and as the horn fell into the water a great fish swam
by and swallowed it. On the day that No-King-as-God was
returning home he met some friends who were going fishing.
He went with them and caught that great fish. As his son
was cleaning it, his knife struck something hard and he
called to his father. The father pulled out the horn,
and when he opened it and looked inside he saw the rings
which the king had given him for safe keeping. "Truly,"
he said, "there is no king like God."
They were still fishing when a royal messenger came and
told the man he was wanted by the king at once. He stopped
at his house first and asked his wife where was that precious
thing he had entrusted to her. She replied that she could
not find it and thought a rat had eaten it. Shaking his
head at her perfidy the man set off for the royal court.
The other counsellors all saluted by saying, "May
the king live forever." But the man said only, "There
is no king like God." So the king told the counsellors
to be quiet, and advancing towards the man he said, "Is
it true that there is no king like God?" The man
replied firmly, "Yes".
Then the king demanded that thing which he had entrusted
to the man, and signaled his guards to close round him
to kill him. But No-King-as-God put his hand under his
robe and pulled out the horn and handed it to the king.
The king opened it and took out his two silver rings.
"Indeed, there is no king like God", he said,
and all his counsellors shouted in approval. Then the
king divided his city into two, and gave half of it to
No-King-as-God to rule.
When
an ordinary man comes before the king he salutes him thusly:
"May the king live forever!" But once lived
a man who refused to say this obligatory phrase, instead
substituting: "There is no king like God." After
many visits to the king, and many repetitions of this
heretical phrase, the king grew angry and plotted to destroy
the man. He gave the man two silver rings and told him
they were a present to keep, but in reality the king meant
to avenge himself through them. 
