The Romance of Reuben and Penina

Hey guys!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

This week I'm wrapping up my series on Jewish folklore with a special tale.

There's a story in Jewish folklore about a challenge between King Solomon - the wisest of Israel's kings - and the Queen of Sheba.  The Queen was a frequent guest of Solomon's, and she loved to question him and put his beliefs to the test.

One day Solomon was explaining that God has a perfect match for everyone - a marriage made in Heaven, as it were.  The Queen took issue with this, insisting that there were some circumstances wherein a person could not possibly find a mate.  She proposed a test, and Solomon agreed to her terms.  Together they would find an unmarried young woman.  She would be imprisoned in a tree on a deserted island for five years.  If, at the end of that time, God had found her a husband, the Queen of Sheba would believe that Solomon had spoken the truth.

The two royals walked through Jerusalem, looking for the perfect candidate.  At last they decided upon a lovely maiden named Penina.  Solomon and the Queen accompanied her to her home, where Solomon arranged to hire her for five years.  He paid her parents well for her employment, and then shipped Penina off to an isolated island.

Penina's home on the island was a single room inside a hollowed out tree trunk.  The room had a window - though it was too small for her to fit through - and a door that was sealed and locked from the outside.  Her tiny house had a loom for weaving and musical instruments to make her time there more pleasant.  Penina was not thrilled by her temporary exile, but she did resolved to do her best to bear it with good cheer.

Now, in this story King Solomon is able to speak with birds.  Every day he sent one to pass supplies through the window to Penina.  The birds reported to him of her doings, allowing Solomon to keep an eye on her from a distance.

Some time passed, and a ship happened to be sailing somewhat near the island.  The sea was calm that day, so the ship's captain went below to take a nap, leaving his son Reuben to steer the ship.  For a brief time all was well, but then a violent storm rose up out of nowhere!  Reuben did his best to control the ship, but a towering wave swept over it and knocked him into the water.  The young man managed to cling to a plank of wood, but he could do nothing but hold on as the waves carried him away from his father's vessel.

Can you guess where he wound up?

The storm carried Reuben to the banks of a strange island, where he was deposited on the sand.  Exhausted, Reuben nonetheless went on a search for food and water.  There was fresh fruit and spring water in abundance, so Reuben was able to sustain himself.

After several days the young man had explored nearly all of the island.  An enormous tree near its center had piqued his interested, and Reuben was determined to climb it.  (What else are you going to do on a deserted island?  After all, he didn't have a volleyball named Wilson!)  When he approached the tree he noticed something quite curious.  A bird had approached the foliage, laden down with a basket of fruit and other supplies.

As Reuben watched, the bird perched near a small opening carved into the tree trunk.  A hand reached through the opening and took the basket, and the bird flew away.

Reuben was amazed by this.  For several days he watched the window.  Every day at the same time the bird arrived with supplies.  Reassured at last that the bird only came once a day, Reuben approached the window right after it had flown away.  He climbed the tree and looked through the hole - and found a beautiful face looking back at him!

Penina was shocked to discover that she had company on the island.  The two struck up a conversation, and soon found that they liked one another very much.  They talked all day and all night, and then Reuben carved the window a little wider and climbed in side.  They were in love.

The birds reported all of this to King Solomon, who smiled and arranged for enough food for two to be sent to the island every day.

Time passed, and eventually Reuben and Penina married.  The birds told King Solomon of this, and he sent a wedding feast for the couple.  Despite having arguably won the test by the Queen of Sheba, Solomon did not tell her of the events on the island...at least, not yet.

Nine months after the wedding a child was born to Penina and Reuben.  They named her Sheba in honor of the woman who had brought them together.

When King Solomon heard the news he was delighted.  As it happened, his son was getting married soon and a huge feast was planned.  The Queen of Sheba would be attending, and the King wanted to surprise her.  Solomon arranged for Reuben and Penina to be taken from the island and brought to the feast.

When the couple arrived at the port the first thing Reuben saw was a picture of a handsome man.  He inquired after it, and was told that the man was the son of a sea captain.  He had been lost during a voyage, and though is father had searched for many days he could not find him.  Upon reaching town the captain had hung up pictures of his son in the hopes that someone would recognize him and reunite them.

Reuben began to cry, realizing that he was the man in the picture.

The group began to travel inland.  In a few days Penina, Reuben, and Sheba had arrived and Jerusalem.  King Solomon greeted them joyfully.  Upon hearing of Reuben's father the King sent for him, along with Penina's parents.  A tearful reunion followed, and the families enjoyed themselves immensely at the wedding feast.

As for the Queen of Sheba - she could not argue with the image of Reuben and Penina holding their baby daughter.  The Queen admitted that she had lost he wager, and that Solomon was right: God really does have a match for everyone.

I really love this story.  I think its message is charming and romantic.  I also adore the similarities to the story of Rapunzel.  What did you guys think?

I wish you all a happy New Year!  I'll see you in 2016 with a new series of posts!