SOLOMON: Guard, take the child. (SECOND SOLDIER _lifts the child stiffly._) (_To_ FIRST WOMAN.) Is this thy child? FIRST WOMAN: God _knows_. SOLOMON: Aye, but I would likewise know. Hath neither woman a witness? WICKED JUDGE (_brusquely_): Pshaw! Nonsense! There is no doubt at all, O mighty son of David. I have examined witnesses; they swear the child is _hers_. (_Nods toward_ FIRST WOMAN.) Moreover, she hath the child; possession witnesses. (_Pats_ FIRST WOMAN.) Fear not, my girl; the king will do thee right. SECOND WOMAN: O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house. And this woman's child died in the night; and she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid her dead son beside me. And when I arose in the morning, the child was dead; but when I had considered it, behold, it was not my son. FIRST WOMAN: Nay, but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. SECOND WOMAN: Nay, but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. SOLOMON (_sternly_): Women, approach. (_Both stand before him. To_ FIRST WOMAN.) Thou sayest, "This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead." (_To_ SECOND WOMAN.) And thou sayest, "Nay, but thy son is the dead, and mine is the living." (_To_ SOLDIER.) Bring hither a sword. (FIRST SOLDIER _goes out._) WICKED JUDGE: Lo, what is in the king's mind? Will he slay yonder woman for bearing lying witness? (SOLOMON _raises his hand with a threatening gesture_; JUDGE _shrinks back._ FIRST SOLDIER _returns with sword._) SOLOMON: I cannot judge between you; let God judge. (_Turns to_ SOLDIER.) Take thou the sword; divide the living child in twain, and give half to the one and half to the other. (_The_ FIRST WOMAN _shrinks away. The_ SECOND WOMAN, _with a little cry, rushes between the_ SOLDIER _who holds the_ CHILD, _and the_ SOLDIER _who holds sword. She stands with fists doubled, to defend the_ CHILD. FIRST SOLDIER _throws her aside; she falls._) WICKED JUDGE: O clever judge! O mighty son of David! FIRST WOMAN (_kneeling_): I bow, lord king, to thy decree. Let the child be neither mine nor hers, but divide it. SECOND WOMAN (_throwing herself before_ KING): O my lord, my lord, give _her_ the child, give her the _living_ child, and in nowise slay it! Let the child live, even though it be within her arms, lord--lord-- WICKED JUDGE: O clever judge! Ha, ha, ha! Through thee indeed the Lord hath spoken! Who would have thought to see such mighty wisdom, yea, in a beardless youth? Thy wit hath showed the truth, and made yon lying woman eat her lies. (_Taps_ FIRST WOMAN.) Even as I said, the child is hers. (_To_ SOLDIER.) Give unto this woman her child. FIRST SOLDIER (_with sword upraised_): Is it thy will, O king, I slay the child, or give it to yon woman?