Dilemmas

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Dilemma 1: Which is superior?

A mother walked down the road, in search of a good woman to make her son a husband. As she walked she felt the heat of the sun beating down on her. So impressed was she that she offered her only son in marriage to the sun, which, she thought must be the most powerful being in the universe. But the sun said to the woman, �I am not so great as all that. It is true that I am powerful, but when the clouds come before me, my power is blocked, and I am not so fierce.�

So the woman spoke to the clouds and said, "You are the most powerful being in the universe. You are able to block the sun and make it dark. I offer my son in marriage to you." But the clouds spoke to the woman. �But when the rain comes and falls it takes away my strength, and then the sun is strong again. The rain is much stronger than me.�

So the woman spoke to the rain. �Rain,� she offered. �My son is handsome and quiet, a skilled keeper of house and home, young and not given to any woman. You are the most powerful being in the universe, for you take the strength of the clouds and make them weak that the sun might defeat them. Would you take my son as husband?�

But the rain spoke. �I am unfortunately not so strong as you would say, for when I fall to the Earth, The Earth gathers me together and forces me down and down, turning me into rivers and streams and seas. The Earth is far mightier than I.�

So the woman knelt down upon the Earth. �Earth, the rain bows to you. You must be the most powerful being in the Universe. Would you take my son to husband?�

But the Earth shook herself. �While I have a power of sorts, woman, I must say that I too am not the greatest entity. For I am but a servant dancing at the foot of my mistress the Moon. When she calls to me I must answer. She calls to my waters and the tides rise, she calls to my land and the lands shake. No, the moon is far greater than I.�

The woman, near despair turned to the moon, and called out in a great voice. �Mistress Moon, The Earth bows to you, you call out the seasons and light the night! Surely you are the most powerful being in the universe, and a worthy partner for my son.�

But the Moon looked over the horizon to the woman and spoke. �Woman, you ask of me something I would desire but I cannot tell an untruth. I am not the most powerful. For, when you say that I am the most powerful because the Earth bows before me, you forget that I bow before another also. For, when night ends, and my light ebbs, then the Sun rises and chases me from the sky. I cannot marry your son.�

And so the woman returned home, and married her son off to the daughter of the local butcher, never able to find the most powerful entity in the universe.

But can you tell who is the most powerful?

Dilemma 2: The four landowners.

Four landowners come before you. They each bring gifts and praise, and each in turn speak their case. They each claim ownership of a river in your kingdom, and thus the tithes and taxes upon all river traffic.

The first says, �We each own land near a river in your lands. I own the land where the river originates. I claim the river and all trade routes on it as my own, since the river originates in my land, it is mine.�

The second says, �I own the land connected to the first. The river runs the length of my property. My land is poor and hilly, nothing grows there. But, I own the boats that trade along the river. The river is my lively hood and the land is nothing. I claim the river.�

The third says, �I own the land upon which the river city is built. Trade would not exist if it wasn�t for my land. I buy all the trade that comes down the river. I claim the river.�

And the fourth says, �I own the farms that produce the goods that are sold down the river in the town. It was my idea to trade downstream. But I now pay tithe to the first who claims ownership of the river, the second who owns the boats and the third who receives the goods. I will be forced to give up trade if this continues. I claim the river.�

How do you solve these claims?

Dilemma 3: The two herdswomen and the fawn.

Two herdswomen come before a magistrate. The first says, �I have a doe that has given birth to a fawn. But the doe gave birth on this woman�s land. Now she has returned the doe to me but not the fawn. I demand Justice. I demand that you make her return the fawn to me.�

The second speaks. �This is true, but the other has left out some facts. First, she owns no stags, and I have several. The fawn was fathered by one of my beasts. Second, she has allowed her beasts to graze upon my land when hers were not sufficient, without my permission. Last, the fawn was rejected by its mother and has been fostered by one of my beasts. I claim the fawn as my own.�

The first answers. �I have never let my beasts loose upon your land. That is a lie. While it is true I own no stags, there are several wild beasts in the region who could have sired the fawn. You kidnapped my animal when you saw it was going to give birth in order to steal the fawn. I demand the fawn be returned to me.�

The two turn to you to resolve their dispute. What do you do?

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