“Justice Bell”

Asmaa Barigo

Art of Creative Unity Award 2021 | Third Prize (21 and under)

It tells that in the old days there was a beautiful city called the City of Justice, and its ruler was a just king who cares about spreading justice, equality and peace among the people of his city. One day, a minister came to him to tell him about the conditions of the city and its people and give him advice that helps spread love, justice and equality among the members of his flock. The minister indicated The king has to hang a bell in the city to which everyone who has been subjected to injustice or inequality resorts and rings this bell and thus the ruler or officials know that this person has been subjected to injustice and go until they do justice to the oppressed and remove injustice from him.

The governor was convinced of the minister’s advice, so he summoned the chief judge in the city and said to him: My minister advised me to hang a big bell in the market and I hope someone would hang the bell with a long rope that the youngest children could reach. The chief judge complied with the governor’s order, but the rope was cut off after a few days. So the chief judge ordered to put a new rope in place of the cut rope, but the people searched a lot and did not find a suitable rope, so one of the wise men in the city suggested to them that they tie the rope temporarily until they find a new rope, then he went to one of the nearby orchards and came back with a long branch of the grape tree in his hand .

And there lived in the same city a man who was known for miserliness and scarcity. He had a horse that he used to transport goods, and when this man grew up, he became unable to work, so he neglected his horse until hunger almost killed him, and one day the miser released his horse, and he found only a little grass to eat from, he will search the horse The poor man wanted more food, but he could not find anything.

The horse continued its march, weakness and weakness appeared on it, and the weather was very hot and people were staying in their homes for fear of heat and sunstrokes. The horse got lost in the snaps until it reached the place where the bell was hung, so he saw a grape branch hanging from it, so the horse stretched his neck trying to attract the branch to him, but he could not cut it Because of his weakness, he kept trying many times, and during these attempts the horse cut the grape branch and the bell rang. The residents of the city of Justice heard the sound of the bell and knew that there was an oppressed person in their city!

The judges rushed to the place of the bell, so the chief judge asked the people about the person who rang the bell, so they told him that he was the horse of the miser who was wronged by its owner, so he came demanding fairness and justice. The judiciary inquired about the truth of the matter until he knew that the miser was cruel to his horse and prevented him from food and water. The judge said to the gathered people: The city of justice refuses to have the oppressed, whether human or animal, and the chief justice asked to bring the miser.

One of the guards went to the miser’s house, and when he entered him, he found him preparing his money and the money he had collected. He told him that the judges wanted him. The miser said, “But I am too old to walk, so they brought me a horse to ride.” The guard said: “If you kept your horse and were able to take care of it and take care of it, I would serve you.” Now, the miser said: If I had spent on him from my money to feed him, I would not have collected this great wealth, then he asked to borrow his neighbor’s horse, and when the miser arrived at the place of the bell, he found people and judges gathered and in front of them his weak horse, people tried to assault the miser, but the chief judge prevented them, saying Attacking others is not one of our morals in the city of justice, and he asked them to leave the matter to justice and the judiciary.

The miser approached the platform in shame while looking at the ground, so the chief judge said to him: Look at your horse, he served you well and saved you from poverty, so why did you neglect him in this way until he was about to die? The miser did not find an answer and asked him to pardon and to return his horse to him again so that the best of his subjects would take care of him and take good care of him this time, but the chief judge refused the miser’s request and decided to teach him a lesson he would not forget throughout his life.

The judge said in a loud voice: I have decided to take half of the miser’s money and buy him food for the horse, and build him a place to protect him from heat, cold and rain. People shouted joyfully: Long live justice, long live justice.