The Palace of Beaks
Long Long ago, there was a very famous, very good king called Solomon. You know the best part about him? He was a very rich, very powerful king. But he would listen to anybody, any body at all who wanted to tell him something. So he learnt a lot from everybody and he became both smart and also good inside his heart. He was a very good king and everybody loved him.
He had a beautiful queen. One day it was her birthday. So he asked her what she wanted. The Queen said " Hmnn - let me see". She was being funny. Finally to tease him she said "I want a palace, a palace built out of bird beaks".
Solomon said "Yes, of course - I will build you a palace of beaks"
(Decrease voice volume)
So he called all the birds from the entire kingdom. The King saw that there were doves, there were crows, there were .. and what else do you think... (repeat the names as the children say names of the birds)... But Solomon noticed that the Hoopoe was not there.
Solomon said, "Well, never mind, he will come. I have invited you all because I am going to have a big bitrthday party" The birds were very happy. But then he said "For that party I need a whole bunch of beaks. OK- all birds. Please line up here. One by one, you place your beaks in a pile here and then you can go".
(Decrease voice volume)
Poor birds! What are they supposed to do? But they loved the king. They wanted to please him. But they did not want to give thier beaks to him. So they were crying a bit, they had tears on their faces. But they lined up.
Just then the Hoopoe landed - swish swish swish and there he was.
Solomon said "Oh Good. Please put your beak here as well!"
The Hoopoe said "Oh, I want to tell you some thing"
Solomon always liked to learn. So he said "Yes, please do". So the Hoopoe said "I have three riddles. First, "Who is it who is never born ?" Solomon said "Oh thats easy. Thats God".
Only God is never born, right? God was always there and made all of us.
Hoopoe said "Yes, the same God made all of us, you who is a great king, and us, the little birds".
(Decrease voice volume)
Solomon thought "Yes- he is right. The Lord made all of us. I am not more important than the birds. God made me stronger. But the birds are just as special in God's eyes".
Louder voice. The Hoopoe said "OK - a second riddle. "What is the water than does not come down from the clouds and does not rise from the ground".
(Softer voice)
Solomon looked around the big hall. He saw all the beautiful precious birds. What did they have on their faces? Little tears!
Solomon answered "Tears, tears are drops of water that dont come from the clouds and dont come from the ground either". Solomon felt very sad that the birds were crying.
(Louder voice)
The Hoopoe said "Another riddle. What is delicate enough to put food in a baby mouth and strong enough to drill holes in a tree?".
Solomon saw all the birds in front of him. What did they have in front of their face? Beaks!
He said "Oh yes, beaks can be used to feed the tiny baby birds, and the woodpeckers can even make holes in the tree with it!".
(Softer voice)
How do you think Solomon felt? He was going to take away the precious thing that the birds used to feed their babies. These were precious birds made by God, just as he was!
Solomon said "Hoopoe, you are such a wonderful bird. You taught me that all birds, all animals are as special as people. I was wrong. I dont want to take your beaks away from you". (Louder voice). "And Hoopoe, because you are so good, I will give you a crown. He put a tiny little crown on the Hoopoe head"
To this day, the Hoopoe wears a little crown on his head to remind everybody that birds are as special as people in Gods eyes.
He had a beautiful queen. One day it was her birthday. So he asked her what she wanted. The Queen said " Hmnn - let me see". She was being funny. Finally to tease him she said "I want a palace, a palace built out of bird beaks".
Solomon said "Yes, of course - I will build you a palace of beaks"
(Decrease voice volume)
So he called all the birds from the entire kingdom. The King saw that there were doves, there were crows, there were .. and what else do you think... (repeat the names as the children say names of the birds)... But Solomon noticed that the Hoopoe was not there.
Solomon said, "Well, never mind, he will come. I have invited you all because I am going to have a big bitrthday party" The birds were very happy. But then he said "For that party I need a whole bunch of beaks. OK- all birds. Please line up here. One by one, you place your beaks in a pile here and then you can go".
(Decrease voice volume)
Poor birds! What are they supposed to do? But they loved the king. They wanted to please him. But they did not want to give thier beaks to him. So they were crying a bit, they had tears on their faces. But they lined up.
Just then the Hoopoe landed - swish swish swish and there he was.
Solomon said "Oh Good. Please put your beak here as well!"
The Hoopoe said "Oh, I want to tell you some thing"
Solomon always liked to learn. So he said "Yes, please do". So the Hoopoe said "I have three riddles. First, "Who is it who is never born ?" Solomon said "Oh thats easy. Thats God".
Only God is never born, right? God was always there and made all of us.
Hoopoe said "Yes, the same God made all of us, you who is a great king, and us, the little birds".
(Decrease voice volume)
Solomon thought "Yes- he is right. The Lord made all of us. I am not more important than the birds. God made me stronger. But the birds are just as special in God's eyes".
Louder voice. The Hoopoe said "OK - a second riddle. "What is the water than does not come down from the clouds and does not rise from the ground".
(Softer voice)
Solomon looked around the big hall. He saw all the beautiful precious birds. What did they have on their faces? Little tears!
Solomon answered "Tears, tears are drops of water that dont come from the clouds and dont come from the ground either". Solomon felt very sad that the birds were crying.
(Louder voice)
The Hoopoe said "Another riddle. What is delicate enough to put food in a baby mouth and strong enough to drill holes in a tree?".
Solomon saw all the birds in front of him. What did they have in front of their face? Beaks!
He said "Oh yes, beaks can be used to feed the tiny baby birds, and the woodpeckers can even make holes in the tree with it!".
(Softer voice)
How do you think Solomon felt? He was going to take away the precious thing that the birds used to feed their babies. These were precious birds made by God, just as he was!
Solomon said "Hoopoe, you are such a wonderful bird. You taught me that all birds, all animals are as special as people. I was wrong. I dont want to take your beaks away from you". (Louder voice). "And Hoopoe, because you are so good, I will give you a crown. He put a tiny little crown on the Hoopoe head"
To this day, the Hoopoe wears a little crown on his head to remind everybody that birds are as special as people in Gods eyes.
