A Ring for a King: A Tale of King Solomon
Reviewed by Paul Buckley
May 1, 2026
By Martha Seif Simpson, illustrated by D. Yael Bernhard. Wisdom Tales, 2025. 40 pages. $19.95/hardcover; $9.99/eBook.
On the surface, A Ring for a King seems like a typical “happily-ever-after” story with the main character being a young boy named Ezra. In brief, Ezra suffers misfortune but ends up with a bag of gold. The story, however, is actually about how to become wise. Note that it is subtitled A Tale of King Solomon, and Solomon, of course, is noted for his wisdom. According to the Bible (1 Kings 3:3–15), this wisdom was a gift from God. In this tale, however, Solomon is a man who may be somewhat wise but knows his limits. He is doing the best he can and hoping it is good enough for his subjects. He knows he still has a lot to learn.
Ezra works in the palace kitchen, and among his duties, he is to be the king’s cupbearer. Each day, after Solomon has finished holding court, Ezra would bring him a cup of wine and listen to the weary king talk about his day. Here is the beginning of wisdom; Solomon knows he doesn’t know the right words of comfort for those who suffer misfortune, nor a gentle but effective way to remind those who are prosperous that good fortune never lasts forever.
One day, Ezra accidentally drops a platter of food and is promptly fired. Despondent, he runs from the palace but soon has an opportunity to help a stranger. As a reward, he is given a ring that is inscribed with an obscure message: just three Hebrew letters. Hoping to get back in good graces at the palace, Ezra decides to make it a gift to the king. Joining the end of a long line of supplicants, he is finally able to present it. Puzzling over the inscription, Solomon decodes it as the first letters of “This too shall pass,” both a message of comfort to the unfortunate and a warning against complacency for the comfortable.
Solomon’s wisdom, we see, is not an unearned divine gift; it grows from having the humility to learn even from a child. This is a tale that parents can use to start a valuable conversation with their own child or for a First-day school teacher to introduce a lesson on the value of listening and of humility.
Paul Buckley has written numerous articles and books on Quaker history, faith, and practice, urging spiritual renewal among Friends. He worships with Clear Creek Meeting in Richmond, Ind. His most recent publication is the Pendle Hill pamphlet, Teach Us to Pray. Contact: [email protected].
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