The Soldiers Who Would Not Fire

*A retelling for children, based on **The Chosen Highway** by Lady Blomfield (George Ronald). The words in quotation marks are the Báb's own, as the account records them.*

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On a summer morning in the city of Tabríz, thousands of people crowded into a square. They had come to watch something terrible. The Báb, who had taught so many people about the love of God, had been condemned by His enemies, and they meant to end His life that day before the whole city.

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A young follower had begged to stay at the Báb's side, and the two of them were tied with ropes against a wall. A whole regiment of soldiers — many, many of them — lined up with their rifles ready. The order was given. The guns roared, and a great cloud of smoke rose up and hid the wall from view.

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Then the smoke cleared — and the crowd gasped.

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The Báb was not there.

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The ropes hung cut to pieces by the bullets, but He was gone. His young companion stood without a scratch. The soldiers searched everywhere, and at last they found the Báb back in the room where He had been earlier, calmly finishing something He had been saying to His helper that morning. He had told them that no one on earth could stop Him until He had said all He wished to say. Now, finished, He was ready, and He said:

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> It is finished. I am ready.

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The soldiers who had fired were shaken to their hearts. What they had seen could not be explained, and they would not raise their guns again. Their leader said this was something from God, and the whole regiment laid down their rifles and marched away.

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Even those who came to do a terrible thing could not help seeing, for a moment, that something holy was before them. The Báb gave His life that day with perfect calm and courage — because He knew that the new Day He had come to announce was only just beginning.

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*This is a retelling for children. For the fuller account, see ["It Is Finished, I Am Ready"](/stories/ch-it-is-finished-i-am-ready).*

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