The Assyrian King, Esarhaddon, had conquered the kingdom of King Lailie, had destroyed and burnt the towns, taken all the inhabitants captive to his own country, slaughtered the warriors, beheaded some chieftains and impaled or flayed others, and had confined King Lailie himself in a cage.
As he lay on his bed one night, King Esarhaddon was thinking how he should execute Lailie, when suddenly he heard a rustling near his bed, and opening his eyes saw an old man with a long gray beard and mild eyes.
“You wish to execute Lailie?” asked the old man.
“Yes,” answered the King. “But I cannot make up my mind how to do it.”
“But you are Lailie,” said the old man.
“That’s not true,” replied the King. “Lailie is Lailie, and I am I.”
“You and Lailie are one,” said the old man. “You only imagine you are not Lailie, and that Lailie is not you.”