The Sun in the Pail

The King Aaron gave another impossible task again to Abunawas that day. He said, "Abu, in this summer, the sun is very very hot. If you can wrap the sun, you'll help all people."

Abu was just silent. Then the King said again, "I want you to wrap the sun by tomorrow!"

Abunawas could not refuse the order. He looked confused.

"What time will you take the order, Abu?" asked the king.

Abunawas was silent. The king repeated the question.

After a quite long silence he answered, "Around midday, Your Majesty!"

Then the king ordered all the ministers to come to the palace the next day around twelve o'clock.

The next day at twelve o'clock many people gathered in the palace. They wanted to see how Abunawas wrapped the sun. When Abunawas came there, the king asked him directly, "How will you do it, Abu?"

"I need a pail of water and a big leather bag. Your Majesty, There must be no leak on the bag," said the smart man.

Then the king asked his guards to get a pail of water and a big leather bag.

Not long after that the guards brought in the things. They gave them to Abunawas.

After receiving them, Abunawas went to the palace square with a pail of water. He put in the middle of the square. He looked into the pail. The water was very clean. He saw the reflection of the sun in the water. Then he went back to the king and the ministers.

"Your Majesty, I have caught the sun. I put it in the pail," said Abunawas.

The King smiled and asked, "How can you prove it, Abu?"

Abunawas asked one of the minister to go to the middle of the square and to look into the pail. He asked the minister when he came back, "What did you see?"

The minister answered, "The sun!"

The other ministers talked to each other. They did not believe the minister who just saw the sun in the pail.

"Abu, can I see the sun?"

"Go ahead," answered Abunawas.

So, the minister went to see the sun in the pail. When he came back, he told the other that he saw the sun  in the pail.

"Do you want to prove it yourself, Your Majesty?" asked Abunawas to the king.

The king smiled. He knew Abunawas try to release himself from the impossible task. He said, "No, Abu. Now wrap it!"

Abunawas was took the big leather bag. He went to the middle of the square. He opened the bag and put it on the ground. Next, he lifted the pail and poured the water into the bag. He closed the bag and ran to the king.

I have wrapped the sun, Your Majesty," he said and put the bag in front of the king.

"I still see the sun shining in the sky, Abu," said the king.

"Your Majesty, your ministers told us that they saw the sun in the pail. And I poured the water into the bag. So, the sun is in the bag now," argued Abunawas.

"Abu look outside. The sun is shining in the sky!" the king argued also.

"Yes, Your Majesty. But it is the second sun."

"The second sun? There is only one sun in the world!"

"You're right, Your Majesty. There is only one sun in the world. So, when I put it into the bag, the whole world was in total darkness. So, God replaced it with the new one," Abunawas argued convincingly.

The king could not argue any further. Then he walked to the bag and opened the bag. He did not see the sun in the bag. Then he said, "Abu, there is no sun in the bag. Where is the sun you just wrapped?"

"Your Majesty, there are two suns now. The sun in the bag feel guilty because I can catch it. It will show itself only if it see the second sun," said Abunawas.

"What do you mean?" asked the king.

Abunawas did not answered the question. He took the bag and brought it outside. He opened it under the sun. After a moment he shouted, "it's here, Your Mejesty!"