The Butterfly That Stamped by Rudyard Kipling

Books at bedtime by calming anxiety, the butterfly that stamped by rudyard Kipling.

This, oh my best beloved, is a story, a new and a wonderful story, a story quite different from the other stories, a story about the most wise sovereign, Sulemin bin Daoud, Solomon of the son of David. There are 355 stories about Sulemin bin Daoud, but this is not one of them. It is not the story of the lap-wing who found the water, or of the hoop-hoe who shaded Sulemin Daoud from the heat. It is not the story of the glass pavement, or the ruby with a crooked home, or the gold bars of Balkis. It is the story of the butterfly that stamped. Now attend all, all over again and listen. Sulemin bin Daoud was wived. He understood what the beast said, what the bird said, what the fish is said, and what the insects said. He understood what the rocks said deep under the earth when they bowed inwards towards one another and groaned, and he understood what the tree said when they rustled in the middle of the morning. He understood everything from the bishop on the bench to the hiss-up on the wall, and Balkis, his head queen, the most beautiful queen Balkis, was nearly as wise as he was. Sulemin bin Daoud was strong. Upon the third finger of the right hand, he wore a ring. When he turned it once, aphorits and jins came out. They came out of the earth to do whatever he told them. When he turned it twice, fairies came down from the sky to do whatever he told them. And when he turned it three times, the very great angel, Asriel of the sword, came dressed as a water carrier and told him the news of the three worlds above, below, and here.

And yet Sulemin bin Daoud was not proud. He very seldom showed off, and when he did he was sorry for it. Once he tried to feed all the animals of the world, all in one day, but when the food was ready, an animal came out of the deep sea and ate it up in three mouthfuls. Sulemin bin Daoud was very surprised and said, "Oh, animal, who are you?" And the animal said, "Oh, King, live forever. I am the smallest of thirty thousand brothers, and our homes at the bottom of the sea. We heard that you are going to feed all the animals in all the world, and my brothers sent me to ask when dinner would be ready." Sulemin bin Daoud was more surprised than ever and said, "Oh, animal, you have eaten all the dinner that I made ready for all the animals in the world." And the animal said, "Oh, King, live forever forever, but do you really call that dinner?" Where I come from, we each eat twice as much as that between meals. And Sulemin bin Daoud fell flat on his face and said, "Oh, animal, I gave that dinner to show what a great and rich King I was, and not because I really wanted to be kind to the animals. Now I am ashamed, and it serves me right." Sulemin bin Daoud was a really truly wise man, best beloved. After that, he never forgot that it was silly to show off, and now the real story part of my story begins. He married ever so many wives, he married 999 wives, besides the most beautiful balconies, and they all lived in a great golden palace in the middle of a lovely garden with fountains. He didn't really want 999 wives, but in those days everybody married ever so many wives, and of course the King had to marry ever so many more, just to show that he was the King. Some of the wives were nice, but some were simply horrid, and the horrid ones quarreled with the nice ones and made them horrid toon, and then they would all quarrel with Sulemin bin Daoud, and that was horrid for him. But Balkis, the most beautiful never quarreled with Sulemin bin Daoud. She loved him too much. She sat in her rooms in the golden palace, or walked in the palace garden, and was truly sorry for him. Of course, if he had chosen to turn his ring on his finger and call up the jeans and the aphorids, they would have magicked all those 999 quarrels and wives into white mules of the desert, or grey hounds, or pomegranate seeds. But Sulemin bin Daoud thought that that would be showing off. When they quarreled too much, he only walked by himself in one part of the beautiful palace gardens and wished he had never been born. One day, when they had quarreled for three weeks, all 999 wives together, Sulemin bin Daoud went out for peace and quiet as usual. And among the orange trees, he met Balkis the most beautiful, very sorrowful, because Sulemin bin Daoud was so worried, and she said to him, "O my Lord, and light of my eyes, turn the ring upon your finger and show these queens of Egypt and Mesopotamia and Persia and China that you are the great and terrible king." But Sulemin bin Daoud shook his head and said, "O my lady, and light of my life, remember the animal that came out of the sea and made me ashamed before all the animals in the world because I showed off now. If I showed off before these queens of Persia and Egypt and Abbasinia and China merely because they worry me, I might be made even more ashamed than I have been." And Balkis the most beautiful said, "O my Lord, and treasure of my soul, what will you do?" And Sulemin bin Daoud said, "O my lady, and content of my heart, I shall continue to endure my fate at the hands of these 999 queens who vex with me their continual quarrying." So he went on between the lilies and the low cuts and the roses and the canas and the heavy-centred ginger plants that grew in the garden. Until he came to the great camp for tree that was called the camp for tree of Sulemin bin Daoud. But Balkis hid among the tall irises and spotted bamboo and the red lilies behind the camp for tree, so it's the bare-neared down that own true love.

Presently, two butterflies flew under the tree quarrelling. Sulemin bin Daoud heard one say to the other, "I wonder at your presumption in talking like this to me. Don't you know that if I stamped with my foot all of Sulemin bin Daoud's palace and this garden here would immediately vanish in a clapper thunder?" Then Sulemin bin Daoud forgot his 999 old-asson wives and laughed until the camp for tree shook at the butterflies' births and he held out his finger and said, "Little man, come here." The butterfly was dreadfully frightened but he managed to fly up to the hand of Sulemin bin Daoud and he clung there for finding himself. Sulemin bin Daoud bent his head and whispered very softly, "Little man, you know that all your stamping wouldn't bend one blade of grass. What made you tell that awful fib to your wife? For doubtless, she is your wife." The butterfly looked at Sulemin bin Daoud and saw the most wise King's eyes twinkling like stars on a frosty night and he picked up his carriage and with both wings and he put his head on one side and said, "Oh, King, live forever. She is my wife and you know what wives are like." Sulemin bin Daoud smiled and is beared and said, "Yes, I know, little brother. One must keep them in order somehow," said the butterfly and she has been quarrelling with me all the morning. "I said that to quieter." And Sulemin bin Daoud said, "May it quieter, go back to your wife, little brother and let me hear what you say." Back flew the butterfly to his wife who was all of a Twitter behind her leaf and she said, "He heard you. Sulemin bin Daoud himself heard you." "Hard me?" said the butterfly. "Of course he did. I meant him to hear me." "And what did he say? Oh, what did he say?" "Well," said the butterfly, fanning himself most importantly. "Between you and me, my dear. Of course I don't blame him because his palace must have cost a great deal and the oranges are just rightening. He asked me not to stamp and I promised I wouldn't." Gracious said his wife and sat quiet. But Sulemin bin Daoud laughed till the tears round down his face at the impudence of the bad little butterfly. Balkus, the most beautiful stood up behind the tree among the red lilies and smiled to herself. For she had heard all this talk. She thought, "If I am a wise man, I can yet save my lord from the persecutions of these quarrelsome queens and she held out her finger and whispered softly to the butterfly's wife. Little woman, come here." Up flew the butterfly's wife, very frightened and clung to Balkus' white hand. Balkus bent her beautiful head down and whispered, "Little woman, do you believe what your husband has just said?"

The butterfly's wife looked at Balkus and saw the most beautiful queen's eyes shining like deep pools with starla on them and she picked up her carriage with both the wings and said, "O queen, be lovely forever. You know what men folk alike." And the queen Balkus, the wise Balkus of Sheba, put her hand to her lips to hide her smile and said, "Little sister, I know." They get angry, said the butterfly's wife, fanning herself quickly, over nothing at all, but we must humor them, oh queen. They never mean half what they say. If it pleases my husband to believe that I believe he can make Salomon vindow's palace disappear by stamping his foot, I am sure I don't care. You'll forget all about it, item-or-ing. "Little sister," said Balkus, "you are quite right, but next time he begins to boast, take him at his word, ask him to stamp and see what will happen."

We know what men folk alike, don't we? He'll be very much ashamed. A way flew the butterfly's wife to her husband and in five minutes they were quarreling worse than ever. "Remember," said the butterfly, "remember what I can do if I stamp my foot." "I don't believe you one little bit," said the butterfly's wife, "I should very much like to see it done. Suppose you stamp now." "I promised Salomon vindow that I wouldn't," said the butterfly, "and I don't want to break my promise. It wouldn't matter if you did," said his wife. "You couldn't bend the blade of grass with your stamping. "I dare you to do it," she said. "Stamp, stamp, stamp."

Salomon vindow, sitting under the camp for tree, heard every word of this, and he laughed as he had never laughed in all his life. He forgot all about his queens. He forgot all about the animal that came out of the sea. He forgot about showing off. He just laughed with joy, and balkus on the other side of the tree smiled because her own true love was so joyful. Presently, the butterfly, very hot and puffy, came whirling back under the shadow of the camp for tree, and said to Salomon, "She wants me to stamp. She wants to see what will happen. Oh, Salomon vindow, you know I can't do it, and now she'll never believe a word I say. She'll laugh at me to the end of my days."

"No, little brother," said Salomon vindow, "she will never love you again." And he turned the ring on his finger, just for the little butterfly's sake, not for the sake of showing off, and low in the hong. Four huge jeans came out of the earth. "Slaves," said Salomon vindow. "When this gentleman on my finger, that was where the impuponent butterfly was sitting. Stamps is left front-for-foot. You will make my palace and these gardens disappear in a clapper thunder. When he stamps again, you will bring them back carefully." "Now, little brother," he said, "go back to your wife and stamp all you have to mind." "Away," flew the butterfly to his wife, who was crying, "I dare you to do it. I dare you to do it. Stamp. Stamp now. Stamp."

Volkes saw the four vast jeans, stooped down to the four corners of the garden with a palace in the middle, and she clapped her hand softly and said, "At last, Salomon vindow will do for the sake of a butterfly what he ought to have done long ago for his own sake, and the quarrelsome queens will be frightened." The butterfly stamped. The jeans jerked the palace and the gardens a thousand miles into the air. There was the most awful thunder clap, and everything grew in key black. The butterfly's wife fluttered about in the dark crying, "Oh, I'll be good. I'm so sorry I spoke. Only bring the gardens back, my dear darling husband, and I'll never contradict you again." The butterfly was nearly as frightened in his wife, and Salomon vindowed last so much that it was several minutes before he found breath enough to whisper to the butterfly. Stamp again, little brother. "Give me back my palace, most great magician."

"Yes, give him back his palace at the butterfly's wife, still flying about in the dark like him off. Give him back his palace, and don't let have any more magic." "Well, my dear," said the butterfly as bravely as he could, "you see what your nagging has led to. Of course, it doesn't make any difference to me. I'm used to this kind of thing, but as a favor to you and to Salomon vindowed, I don't mind putting things back again." So he stamped once more, "And that instant the jeans let down the palace and the gardens without even a bump." The sun shone on the dark green orange leaves. The fountains played among the pink Egyptian lilies. The birds went on singing, and the butterfly's wife lay on her side under the camp for tree, waggling her wings and panting. "Oh, I'll be good, I'll be good."

Salomon vindowed could hardly speak for laughing. He leaned back, all we and hick ofy, and shook his finger at the butterfly and said, "Oh great wizard, what is this sense of returning to me, my palace, if at the same time you slay me with my earth?" Then came a terrible noise. For all 999 queens ran out of the palace shrieking and shouting and calling for their babies. They hurried down the great marble steps below the fountain. 100 of dressed, and the most wise balky swents stately forward to meet them and said, "What is your trouble, oh queens?" They stood on the marble steps. 100 of dressed and shouted, "What is our trouble? We were living peacefully in our golden palace, as is our custom, when upon a sudden the palace disappeared, and we were left sitting in a thick and noisome darkness, and it's thundered, and jeans and efforts moved about in the darkness. That is our trouble, oh head queen, and we are most extremely troubled on account of that trouble. For it was a troublesome trouble, unlike any trouble we have known."

Then balkus, the most beautiful queen, Solomon bin Doud's very best beloved queen that was of sheba and sabre, and the rivers of the gold of the south. From the desert of Zinn to the towers of Zimbabwe, balkus, almost as wise as the most wise Solomon bin Doud himself said, "It is nothing, oh queens, a butterfly has made complaint against his wife because she quarreled with him, and it is pleased our Lord Solomon bin Doud to teach her a lesson in low speaking and humbleness. For that is counted a virtue amongst the wives of the butterflies."

He went up and spoke in Egyptian queen, the daughter of a Pharaoh, and she said, "Our palace cannot be plucked up by the roots like a leak for the sake of a little insect." "No, Solomon bin Doud must be dead, and what we heard and saw was the earth thundering and darkening at the news." Then balkus, back in that bold queen without looking at her, and said to her and to the brothers, "Come and see." They came down the marble steps, one hundred abreast, and beneath his camp for trees, still weak with laughing, they saw the most wise king, Solomon bin Doud rocking back and forth with a butterfly on either hand, and they heard him say, "Oh wife of my brother in the air, remember after this, to please your husband and all things, lest he be provoked to stamp his foot yet again."

For he has said that he used his magic, and he most eminently a great magician is, one who steals away the very palace of Solomon bin Doud himself, going peace little folk, and he kissed them on the wings, and they flew away. Then all the queens accept balkus, the most beautiful and spounded balkus, who stood apart smiling, fell flat on their faces, for they said, "If these things are done when a butterfly is displeased with his wife, what shall we done to us, who have vexed our king with our loud speaking and open quarreling through many days?" Then they put their veils over their heads, and they put their hands over their mouths, and they tiptoed back to the palace most mousey quiet. Then balkus, the most beautiful and excellent balkus, went forward through the red lilies into the shade of the canford tree, and laid her hand upon Solomon bin Doud's shoulder and said, "Oh my lord, and my treasure and my song, rejoice."

For we have taught the queens of Egypt and Ethiopia, and Abbasinia and Persia and India and China with a great, memorable teaching. Solomon bin Doud, still looking after the butterflies where they played in the sunlight said, "Oh my lady and jewel, when did this happen?" For I've been gesting with a butterfly ever since I came into the garden, and he told balkus what he had done. Balkus, the tender and most lovely balkus said, "Oh my lord and regent of my existence, I hid behind the canford tree and saw it all.

It was I who told the butterflies wife to ask the butterflies to stamp, because I hoped for the sake of the gist, my lord would make some great magic, and that the queens would see it and be frightened, and she told him what the queens had said and seen and thought." Then Solomon bin Doud rose up from his seat under the canford tree and stretched his arms and rejoiced and said, "Oh my lady and sweetener of my days." No, but if I had made a magic against my queens for the sake of pride or anger, as I made that feast for all the animals, I should certainly have been put on to shame. But by means of your wisdom, I made the magic for the sake of a gist and for the sake of a little butterfly, and behold, it has also delivered me from the vexations of my vexacious wives.

"Tell me, therefore, oh my lady and heart of my heart, how did you come to be so wise?"

And Balcus the queen, beautiful and tall, looked up into Solomon bin Doud's eyes and put her head a little on one side, just like the butterfly and said, "First, oh my lord, because I loved you, and secondly, oh my lord, because I know what woman folk are."

Then they went up to the palace and lived happily ever after, but wasn't it clever of Balcus?