Bialik, Hayim - and It Came To Pass (Hebrew Publishing, 1938)

AND IT CAME TO PASS
AND IT CAME TO PASS

� LEGENDS AND STORIES
ABOUT KING DAVID AND
KING SOLOMON
TOLD BY HAYYIM NAHMAN BIALIK

TRANSLATED BY HERBERT DANBY
PROFESSOR OF HEBREW, UNIVERSITY
OF OXFORD, ENGLAND
WITH WOODCUTS BY H OWARD SI MON

NEW YORK HEBREW PUBLISHING COMPANY
CoPYRIGHT '9JB BY HEBREW PUBLISHTNG CoMPANY
L.ll righ:s reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced in my fonn without pennission in writ
ing from the publisher, except by a ret!iewer who
wirbes to quote brief passages in connection with ll
re1,iew 'UlTitten for inclusion in magtJzines
or newspapers.
Typography by S. A. Jacobs, M0U11t Vernon, N. Y.

Printed and bound by Momauk Bookbinding Corp., Nc'W York
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTORY NoTE VII
�LEGENDS AND STORIES

ABOUT KING DAVID
1 � The Scroll of Orpah P. I I
2 � The Child David P. I6
3 � David the Shepherd P. 22
4 � David and the Madman . P. 25
5 � The Scorpion and the Spider . P. 29
6 � Yishbi the Philistine P. 32
7 � The Sweet Singer of Israel P. 36
8 � The Death of David P. 38
9 � How two Workmen broke into King
David's Tomb P. 40
1 0 � The Pasha's Sword P. 42
11 � The Washerwoman P. 46
1 2 � King David in his Tomb P. 5I
�LEGENDS AND STORIES

ABOUT KING SOLOi\lON
1 3 � The Egg . P. 65
14 � Th.;: Inheritance P. 69
1 5 � The White Eagle P. 75
16 � The White Lion P . 8I
I7 � The Bee . P. 87
18 � The Braggart Dove P. 93

1 9 � Whose was the Blame ? P. 95
20 � How the Hoopoe got its Crest P . 97
2 I ! The Flying Cloak . P. I02
a) The Wind's Reproof

b) The Queen of the Frags
c) The J\lysterious Palace
CONTENTS
22 � The Throne of Solomon P. II2

23 � The Milk of the Lioness . P. I 17
24 � Which was the Thief ? P. 128
25 � Uzziel and Hannah P. 1 34
26 � The Three Brothers P. 1 42
27 � The W oman who sued the Wind P. 148
28 � The Queen of Sheba P. I 56
29 � Solomon and Balkis P . I 63
30 � Asmodeus, King of the Demons P. 1 80
3I � A Fatted Ox and a Dinner of Herbs P. 199

32 � "The Way of a Man with a J\Iaid" . P. 221
33 ! The Princess of Aram P. 23 I
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
! THE HEBREW POET BIALIK PUBLISHED THESE LEGENDS
AND STORIES IN SINGLE NUMBERS AT VARIOUS TIMES BE-
TWEEN 1927 AND 1934· HE COLLECTED THEM INTO A
single volume, Vay'hi hayom ("And it came to pass on a

certain day") , which was published a few weeks after his
death in June, 1934·
! They are all adaptations from Arabic and Jewish sources
-ancient, medieval and modern. Most of the sources ex
ist in written form but a few of the pieces have been de
rived from oral sources. The degree of adaptation varies.
Some, such as the legends about the Queen of Sheba (in
both the Jewish and Arabic forms) , and about Asmodeus,
king of the Demons, and "How the Hoopoe got its Crest,"
reproduce the standard versions with scarcely any alter
ation. The majority, however, owe a large, or the main
part of their atmosphere and much of their point to Bialik;
while others, e. g. "The Princess of Aram" and "A Fatted
Ox and a Dinner of Herbs," are almost entirely the fruit
of Bialik's own imagination.
! It would be out of place here to go into detail about the
sources. But attention may be drawn to the following
points.
! The ceremony of the Blessing of the Moon, around
which the story "King David in his Tomb" turns, will be
found discussed in The Jewisb Encyclopedia, Vol. IX, 244.
In the Autborised Daily Prayer Book of the Britisb Jewish
Congregations (ed. Singer) , p. 292, the exclamation
"David King of Israel yet liveth and endureth" is omitted;
but the full version is retained in The Book of Prayer of the
Spanish and Portuguese Jews (Oxford University Press,
' 901) , Vol. 1, p. 1 46.
! The legend entitled "The Milk of the Lioness" is de
rived from u Samuel 2 3, 20, where the Authorised Ver
sion reads "And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. . . slew two
lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion
in the midst of a pit in the time of snow." This rendering,
based on the traditional Jewish interpretation of "Ariel,"
has been discarded by the Revised Version which follows
the Septuagint reading, "the two sons of Ariel of Moab."
! The two stories based on the stock "princess imprisoned
in a tower" motif, here entitled "The Way of a Man with
a Maid" and "The Princess of Aram," are adaptations from
a single original. In the Hebrew volume they are entitled
"Three Things and Four" (short version) , and "Three
Things and Four" (long version) . See Proverbs 30, 18-1 9·
H. D.
LEGENDS AND STORIES
ABOUT KING DAVID
THE SCROLL OF ORPAH
0 R, THE R EST 0F T HE B 00K 0 F R U T H
ORPAH AND RUTH WERE MOABITES. THEY WERE SISTERS,
DAUGHTERS O F EGLON, KING O F ;\IOAB. BOTH WERE BEAU
TIFUL AND A JOY TO BEHOLD, BRED I N THE PLAI:--IS AND
broad valleys; but while Orpah had ever been noisy, un
ruly and impudent like a young camel, Ruth, like a wild
doe, was simple, modest and timid.
�Eglon, King of Moab, was a lusty man and fat, as thick
necked as a buffalo of Bashan; for he lived in the eanh's
richest regions where the grass of the plains grew high as
a man; and there was no end to his flocks. He worshipped
his god Chemosh in joy and gladness and he sacrificed to
Chemosh the choicest he-goats and rams. His hand was
heavy against his neighbours, the children of Israel, and he
II
oppressed them in all their gates. Yet in his inmost heart
he feared the God of Israel and honoured His name, for,
said he, "Who knoweth? It may be that the God of the
Hebrews is God in truth and His hand may be great and
strong."
� In those days there was famine in Judea, but in Moab
there was bread in plenty. And an Ephrathite whose name
was Elimelech came from Bethlehem of Judea to sojourn
in the country of Moab, he and his wonhy wife Naomi and
his two young sons, Mahlon and Chilion. And Eglon had
pity on these Ephrathites and did them no harm. More
over he gave them a place to dwell in, in a distant pan of
his domain. And they dwelt in the country of Moab.
� And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died in the land where
he sojourned, and she was left, and her two sons, in their
deep mourning and sorrow in a strange land. And Eglon
saw the young and tenderly nurtured sons of the Ephra
thite that they were seemly, and he gave to them his daugh
ters in marriage; moreover he dealt kindly with their
mother for their sakes, and rejoiced that he was united
with the seed of the Lord.
� But with this union God was not well pleased and from
the two sisters He withheld both sons and daughters; and
thev dwelt in the house of the widow, their mother in law,
stni ngers, and downheaned, passing their days joylessly.
And likewise Mahlon and Chilion after the death of their
father found no comfon in their wives and knew no plea
sure: all their days they were like blossoms wilting in the
summer droughts, and, after ten years, they both died in
silent grief. Their mother buried them in the field beside
their father, one on one side and one on the other. And
Eglon saw that the bond was broken and his hand grew
yet heavier against Israel, and he oppressed them exceed
ingly; and the Lord killed him by the hand of Ehud, the
son of Gera, who j udged Israel in those days.
12
! And Naomi was left without husband and sons, and she
said, "Whom have I yet here and what have I here ? "
! And when she heard that the Lord had visited his people
to give them bread, she arose and went forth from the
country of Moab to return to Judea, her own country.
And Ruth would not go back from following her mother
in law, for the Lord had touched her heart; and she for
sook her people and her country and the land of her birth
and her gods, and went with her mother in law to the land
of Judea.
! But Orpah bade farewell to her mother in law at the
border of Moab and kissed her and returned to her own
mother's house as in the days of her youth.
! And there came a day when a Philistine passed by the
country of Moab. Now the Philistine was a man of great
stature and mighty in vigour, offspring of the giants of old
time; and he was clothed in martial raiment and girt with
weapons and instruments of death from the soles of his
feet to the crown of his head; he was all iron and brass; for
he was a mighty man of war. And the giant turned aside
to the house of Orpah and passed the night there; and
Orpah beheld his might, his stature, the splendour of his
raiment and his weapons, and she joined herself to him.
And, as a dog followeth after his master, so she followed
after her Philistine lover to his own place, the city of Gath.
! But Ruth came and took refuge beneath the wings of the
God of Israel and dwelt with her mother in law in Beth
lehem of Judea. And in her poverty she went out to glean
in the field of Boaz the Bethlehemite, to save herself alive
and her mother in law. Now Boaz was a man of wealth
and of many possessions, a man greatly beloved and a
noble of the people. He was of the family of Elimelech
and a kinsman of Naomi. And he saw the damsel as she
gleaned, and he perceived the simplicity of her ways and
the purity of her spirit, and he brought her unto his own
13
home and took her to wife. And when the time was come
about she bore him a son and called his name Obed.
� And Ruth clave continually to the seed of the pure and
holy people, as it is written in the Book of Ruth. And
Ruth waxed old and full of days, yet she continued fresh
and buxom. Her hands never wearied in sowing righteous
ness, mercy and compassion upon them that were round
about her. And she beheld children's children, and children
to the third generation, all of them mighty men and such
as feared God.
� And at the end of her days, on her knees was born a son
to her grandson, Jesse, in his old age, and his name was
called David. And the child grew and God blessed him,
and he was ruddy, of a beautiful countenance and goodly
to look upon, courageous in spirit and steadfast in deed.
He taught his fingers to play upon the harp, and he was a
sweet singer and skilled in music. When he tended his
father's flock he fought doughtily against wild beasts, and
smote the lion and the bear and delivered the prey out of
their mouth. The sound of his sweet songs filled the hills,
and pervaded earth and heaven.
� But, in the land of the Philistines, Orpah shrivelled from
old age and became shrewish and wayward. All day long
she sat at crossroads and street corners like any wanton,
spinning flax and toying with the spindle-whorl. She, too,
beheld children by her giant husband, to the third genera
tion. Among them was Goliath, and Yishbi his brother.
In their childhood no hand ruled them and they grew up
to be violent and lawless men. They were tall and terrible
in appearance, and like their forefather they clothed them
selves in iron and brass; and from their youth up they
learned slaughter and murder. Whenever they went out
marauding they were like wolves from the wilderness and
they drenched the land with tears and blood.
� As is the tree so is the fruit thereof, and the fruit of the
14·
fruit; for the vigour of the fathers continueth for ever in
their seed after them .
• • •
� And when the time was come about, the Philistines gath
ered together in their camp to fight against Israel, and they
stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on
the mountain on the other side, and there was a valley be
tween them. And there went out a champion from the
camp of the Philistines whose height was six cubits and a
span, and he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he
was clad with a coat of mail. And the weight of the coat
was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves
of brass upon his legs and a javelin of brass between his
shoulders, and the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's
beam, and the blade of his spear weighed six hundred
shekels of iron, and his shield-bearer went before him, and
the Philistine stood and defied the armies of the living God.
� He was Goliath, a Philistine from Gath, the great-grand
son of Orpah.
� And from the ranks of Israel there came out to meet him
a youth, ruddy and of a beautiful countenance and goodly
to look upon. He had neither weapons nor armour, and
nothing in his hand save his staff and his sling, and five
smooth stones in his wallet: and on his lips the name of the
living God.
� He was David, a shepherd from Bethlehem, the great
grandson of Ruth.
� A Philistine giant and a Hebrew boy, offspring of the
Moabitish sisters, they stood opposite one another in the
valley; and in their eyes burned a deadly enmity, the
enmity of one nation and its god against another nation
and its God.
THE CHILD DAVID
I N THE DAYS OF KING SAt:L THERE DWELT AT ASCALON
AMONG THE PHILISTINES A HEBREW WOMAN WHO WAS A
WIDOW. SHE WAS COMELY IN FORM AND GOODLY TO LOOK
upon, and she had much money which her rich husband
had left her at his death. And a ruler of the Philistines be
held her and lifted his eyes unto her and soug-ht devices
how he might lay hold ori her and bring her by torce to his
own home; for in those davs the hand of Saul prevailed
not against the Philistines, and they affiicted Israel and did
with them according- to their own will. And the woman
feared greatlv lest t.he Philistine fulfil his evil will upon
her, and she rose up and gathered together her shekels of
silver and gold and hid them, some here and some there,
in earthen vessels; and in the necks of the jars she put some
I6
honey, and she bore them secretly to a Hebrew neighbour
who beforetime had been the friend of her husband. And
she entrusted them to him in the presence of witnesses; but
she told him nothing of the silver and gold that was hidden
in them. That night the woman fled from the city and the
evil devices of the ruler were brought to naught. The
friend of the widow hid the jars of honey in a corner of his
store-chamber and forgot them.
! One day this man made a feast in his house, for he had
brought a wife for his son. He set honey before the guests,
but he found not enough for them all. And he remembered
the jars which had been entrusted to him and went into his
store-chamber to borrow from them a little honey, and
when he emptied the first jar, behold, gold and silver shone
from the midst thereof. He searched also in the other jars,
and, behold, beneath a layer of honey they were all full of
shekels of silver and shekels of gold.
! And the glitter of the gold tempted him and he com
mitted transgression and put forth his hand against the
d�posit of his neighbour, the widow, and took secretly all
the silver and the gold and put it among his own goods.
Then he filled the jars with honey to the brim, as in the be
ginning. And when he had made an end of committing this
abomination, he wiped his hands and went out and ate and
drank, and no man knew of his theft.
! After certain days Saul went forth to fight against the

Philistines, and he smote them with a great smiting and
there fell of them a great number and among the fallen was
also the ruler of Ascalon. And the widow from Ascalon
heard that the man who had pursued her was dead, and she
gave thanks to God and returned in haste to her citv and
I7
to her house. And she came to her neighbour to take back
her deposit, and he brought out to her all the jars to the
very last one, and he gave them back into her hand before
the former witnesses, all the jars according to their number
and according to their appearance, filled with honey to the
brim as on the day when they were entrusted to him:
nothing was lacking. And the woman took the jars and
brought them to her house. She emptied them and, be
hold, her silver and gold she did not find. And she lifted
up her voice and wept greatly, for what could she do now
that all her possessions had perished in a single day, and
she a widow, grieved in spirit, downcast and full of sorrow.
! So she ran and cried out to the judge of the city and told
him the whole matter. The judge heard her cry and gave
ear to all her words. And he said,
! "i\Iy daughter, hast thou any to testify that thou didst
put thy silver and thy gold into the jars ? "
! But she answered, "No."
! "Then what can I do for thee, my daughter ? " said the
judge. "Go to King Saul: perhaps he may help thee."
! And she went and came before Saul, and he too heard
her words, and he sent her to the elders who were at the
gate of Bethel. And she came and stood before the two
and seventy elders in Bethel and told in their ears all the
matter of the transgression which her neighbour had com
mitted against the deposit and how in a single day he had
robbed her of all her possessions.
! And the chief of the elders asked her as did the former
j udge, saying,
! "My daughter, hast thou any to testify that thy words
are true when thou sayest that thou didst put thy silver
and gold under the honey ? "
! But she answered, "Alas, my lord, witnesses have I none,
for I acted stealthily and in haste from fear of the ruler of
the Philistines."
!8
! And the chief of the elders said,
! "If thou hast no witnesses the hand of the judges is too
shon to help thee. May God help thee ! "
! So the widow left the presence of the elders in despair.
She staned on her way back to her home, weeping as she
went, for she saw herself forsaken, helpless and without
hope.
! She went out of the city and saw before her a band of
small boys playing by the wayside. And one of them, a
ruddy child and of a beautiful countenance, came near to
her and asked her in pity,
! "What aileth thee, and why weepest thou' Whose hand
hath been lifted up against thee? The hand of God or the
hand of man ? "
! And she told him of all the wrong that her Hebrew
neighbour had done to her and how the judges had dis
missed her plea because she had no witnesses. And she
wept bitterly and said,
! "Alas, my son! How can I now go back to my house?
I have no help or succour, for I am but a woman and a
widow with naught in my hand ! "
! And the hean of the boy went fonh at her words, for
his pity was stirred for her. And he comfoned her, saying,
! "Do not weep, I pray. All hope is not yet gone. Go back
to King Saul and ask of him to put thy plea into my hand
and I will bring thy cause to the light. Go quickly, and I
will wait for thee here until thy return."
! And the woman did according to his words and went
back to the King and told him how the boy had spoken,
And the King said,
! "Bring him to me."
! And the woman called to the boy and he came and
bowed down before the King with his face to the ground.
And the King saw his tender years and scoffed at him in
his hean. And he said to him,
19
! "Art thou the boy who boasted in the ears of this
woman, saying, I will bring thy cause to the light ? "
! The boy answered,
! "The cause rests with God and in His goodness do I
trust. Let the King command his servant, and what God
shall instruct me that will I observe to do."
! And the King turned his face from him to the woman
and said,
! "Go with him, and let him save thee if he is able."
! And the boy went with the woman. And he bade her
bring out the jars to him. And she brought them out. And
he showed them to the man with whom they had been
entrusted, and he asked him,
! "Look, now, and see: are these the jars which were en
trusted into thy hands ? "
! And the man answered,
! "These are they ! "
! And the boy commanded that all the honey b e emptied
into other vessels. This done, he lifted up the jars one by
one and broke them in the presence of all who stood there.
And it carne to pass that as he was breaking them they sud
denly found among the broken pieces two shining shekels
of gold, for these had stuck to the sides of the jars, and the
hand of the thief had not reached them, and there they
had remained.
! Then the boy lifted up the two shekels in the sight of all
the people and said,
! "See, here are two witnesses ! That man performed his
abomination in secret, but two dumb shekels have re
vealed his iniquity in the sight of all the people."
! And the thief saw that his sin had been made manifest,
and he confessed. He gave back to the woman all that had
been entrusted to him. He kept back nothing. And that
day by his wisdom the boy saved the widow from the
hand of her oppressor.
20
! And Saul and all Israel heard the matter of the judgment
which the boy had performed, and they marvelled. And
they knew, all of them, that the spirit of God was in him.
! And the name of that boy was David, the same David,
son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who afterward became
King over Israel.
2I
DAVID THE SHEPHERD
'
NOW WHEN DAVID TENDED HIS FATHER S FLOCK H E LED
THEI\1 WITH KINDNESS AND WITH GREAT UNDERSTANDING.
HE APPLIED HIS HEART TO KNOW EACH O F THE SHEEP IN
his flock and their nature, and every one of them he tended
according to its need and its strength. And thus used David
to do: he first brought out the kids and the lambs, the
smallest in the flock, and they fed from the tender and
sweet tips of the grass; he then brought out the old rams
with feeble teeth, and they ate the middle parts of the
blades of grass; and the young flocks, full grown and with
strong teeth, he brought out last, and they devoured the
hard stems and roots. He shut up each group apart in the
fold, until the flock was fully fed at its appointed time.
� And God saw that he was a faithful shepherd, and He
said,
� "Him will I take from the sheepfolds to tend my
people."
! Sometimes David would go and seek out fresh pasrures
for his flocks and lead them to distant fields in the wilder
ness and bring them to hills and valleys and dales where
neither flock nor shepherd had ever trodden. Then he
made his flocks lie down in the fresh pastures while he
went and sat on a mound near by and played before God
on his harp or on his flute and poured out his soul in song.
! And there came a day when he led his flocks far away
from the resorts of shepherds, and a bear came and took a
sheep from the flock. And David was in the field by him
self and none was with him; but he took his life in his hand
and smote the bear and discomfited it and saved the sheep
from its mouth. And the bear rose up against David, and
David seized it by the beard and smote it and slew it, and
went back to his mound, and to his harp. When evening
came and the flock returned from the field, behold, David
entered the city with a bear, three times bigger than him
self, bundled on his shoulder. And all who saw it marvelled
at him.
! Another time he led his flock into the wilderness and
again went a far distance, and he came to a place where a
wild buffalo lay asleep among the bushes. But David said,
"It is but a little hill", for he did not look at it closely; and
he went up and sat on it and, as his custom was, from there
watched over his flock. While he was yet sitting there, be
hold, the wild buffalo woke up and shook itself and rose
up on its legs and lifted up David to the sky. And David
was astonished, for it happened suddenly, and never had
his eyes seen a buffalo so great and high. He seized hold of
the buffalo's horns and cried out loudly to God, "Hear
me from the horns of the buffalo ! "
! While h e yet cried out, a terrible and mighty lion
chanced that way; and the buffalo beheld its monarch and
crouched down before it, and David alighted from off it.
And David was afraid because of the lion, for he had no
23
weapon in his hands, and what warrior, unarmed, dare
stand before the monarch of all wild beasts ? And a second
time he cried out to God, "Save me from the lion's
mouth ! "
� The cry was still in his mouth when, behold, a gazelle
sped by and the lion bounded after it; and so David was
saved from death.
2Ll.
DAVID AND THE MADMAN
IT HAPPENED ONE DAY THAT DAVID LOOKED THROUGH THE
WINDOW AKD SAW A 1\IADMAN WITH HAIR U:-IKEJ\lPT AND
RAIME:-IT TORN RUNNING THROUGH THE STREET AND A
band of children pursuing after him and mocking at him.

And a complaint rose up on David's lips and he said,
! "I know, 0 Lord, how great are thy works and that in
wisdom thou hast made them all. Therefore e\·erv one is
good and fair, while wisdom, the glory of thy i inage, is
best and fairest of them all, and through it alone doth man
excel the beasts. But this madness, wherewith thou smitest
man to quench the light of his soul and make his form con
temptible - wherefore hast thou created that ? What
profit is there in it or what pleasure? Is it befitting that the
seal of thine image be made contemptible ? "
25
�And God answered.
� "David, dost thou find a fault in my handiwork? I swear
that a day will come when with all thy heart thou wilt beg
for madness: thou wilt surely cry out to me to bestow it
upon thee, even if it be but a little."
! And David heard, and he kept this thing in his heart.
! When David carne back from smiting Goliath, the Phil

istine of Gath, the women carne out from all the cities of
Israel with cymbals and dances and with tabrets, and they
sang before Saul and before David, saying,
! Saul hath smitten his thousands
! And David his tens of thousands !
! And Saul was greatly angered and he said,
! "To David have they given tens of thousands and to me
have they given but thousands: yet a little while and they
will give him the kingdom also ! "
! And from that day forth Saul looked upon David in
enmity and sought counsel how he might put him to death.
! And there carne a day when Saul detennined to put
David to death. And David fled from before him and carne
by night to the land of the Philistines, to the city of Gath,
to hide himself there. And the sword of Goliath was in his
hand. And David's heart smote him that he had come to
Gath, for he said within himself,
! "Yesterday I slew Goliath the Gittite, the chief of the
warriors of the Philistines, and his blood is not yet dry.
And the brethren of Goliath are the servants of Achish,
King of Gath, and the keepers of his head. And now when
I fall into their hand and they see the sword of Goliath in
my hand, will they deem me guiltless ? Surely I have done
foolishly ! "
26
! While he yet spake within himself the men of Gath laid
hold on him and brought him before the gate of the King,
and the servants said unto the King,
! "Lo, David hath been taken and brought unto the gate
of the King. Is not this that same David who slew Goliath
and of whom they sang,
Saul hath smitten his thousands

And David his tens of thousands !
As our god Dagon liveth, surely the murderer shall this

day be put to death ! "
! But Achish was minded to save David, for he knew that
God was with him and he feared to engage in strife with
him. And he made answer to his servants,
! "Shall David be put to death like a murderer? Did he not
smite Goliath in battle like a warrior? And was not the
word of Goliath with the men of Israel, saying, If he be
able to fight with me and shall smite me then will we be
your servants ? "
! And his servants answered him, saying,
! "If it be so, then do thou come down from thy throne
and let David sit in thy stead. So shall we all be his servants!
Was not this the word of Goliath ? "
! And Achish held his peace.
! And David saw that he was in evil plight and he was
greatly afraid. He lifted his eyes to heaven and said,
! "Whence shall come my help ? "
! And, behold, the voice of God came into his ears:
! "What is thy bequest, 0 David ? "
! And David remembered the word o f God concerning
madness, and he said,
! "Would that thy servant had but a little of that
matter . . ."
! And God said,
27
! "That it is whereof I spake: Whoso despiseth a thing, he
shall suffer thereby."
! And God put it into the hean of David, and he made his
behaviour strange in the sight of Achish and in the sight of
his servants, and he behaved riotously in their hands, and
he raged and mocked and let his slaver run down on his
beard, and he scrabbled on the doors of the gate, saying,
In King Achish's hands have I

hundreds of myriads of silver;
And in the hands of the princess, his
wife, scores of myriads !
! Now in an upper chamber, on the wall of the house of

Achish, were shut up two women that were mad, the
daughter of Achish and her mother. And when David be
haved himself foolishly, and they heard the sound of the
outcry, they put fonh their heads through the lattice and
ogled with their eyes and snapped their fingers, and bab
bled and hooted like owls and like jackals from the wilder
ness. And David feigned himself mad and cried out be
fore them, and there arose great uproar and tumult ancl
lamenting, a veritable riot.
! AndAchish rebuked his servants and said,
! "Ha\·e I so few mad folk that ye bring this one to play
the madman against me ? Drive him away ! "
! And David went out and escaped and his life was saved.
! Then could David say in his joy,
! "0 God, how good a thing is madness ! Hencefonh will
I bless the Lord at all times: in time of understanding and
likewise in time of madness ! "
THE SCORPION AND THE SPIDER
ONE DAY WHILE DAVID SAT IN HIS GARDEN, H E SAW A
SCORPION D EVOL'RING A SPIDER. AND HE SAID, '"o GOD,
WHY HAST THOU CREATED THESE THINGS FOR NAUGHT ?

The scorpion destroyeth honey but never maketh it; and
the spider spinneth the whole year through, yet will its
webs never make a garment. What profit is there in them
or what pleasure ? "
' And the voice o f G o d came in his ears:

' "David, wouldest thou despise the things which my
hands have created ? A day will come when thou shalt
find great help through them; then shalt thou know that
not a thing have I created for naught."
' Not many days after, Da\·id fled from before Saul the
29
King, for Saul sought to take away his l ife. And David hid
himself in a cave in the wilderness. And God ordained for
him a spider, and it wove its web over the mouth of the
cave and blocked it up. And Saul and his men passed by.
One man said,
� "Come, let us go and search this cave: it may chance that
David is here in hiding."
� But another said,
� "See, a spider's web, unbroken, is over the mouth of the
cave: had any man entered thither the spider's web would
be torn to shreds. The cave is surely empty."
� And the men turned aside and did not enter into the
cave. And David, lying at the far end of the cave, heard
all their words.
� When his pursuers were gone a far way off, he left his
hiding place, and he saw the salvation which the spider
had wrought for him, and he gave thanks and said,
� "Blessed be He that created thee ! And blessed also art
thou, 0 spider ! "
� After these things, while Saul was still pursuing after
David, David heard that Saul and his men were come after
him into the wilderness. And he knew the place where
they were encamped, and he came thither and found Saul
lying asleep with his men surrounding him. His spear was
thrust into the ground and a pot of water stood by his
head; and around him lay Abner and the people. So David
came near in secret, and he looked, and, lo, the legs of
Abner, as he slept, were bent upright like two pillars, for
he was a man of great stature. And David passed beneath
them, like as a man passeth between the sideposts of a gate,
and entered within the circle of men; and he took the spear
and the pot of water from beside the head of Saul. And
none saw, and none knew, and none awakened. For they
all slept, and the deep slumber of God was upon them.
And he turned back to go out; but, lo, Abner stretched out
JO
his legs and covered up David, and the legs oore heavily
upon him as though they had been two beams: a little more
and he had been crushed. David was in very grievous
plight, so he cried out to God in his tribulation. And there
came a scorpion and it thrust its sting into the leg of Abner,
so that Abner again bent his legs upright. And David came
out in safety.
!Thus David learnt that none of God's works goeth for
naught and that a spider can serve as His messenger and a
scorpion perform His command.
YISHBI THE PHILISTINE
ONE DAY DAVID SADDLED HIS HORSE AND WENT OUT WITH
HIS BOW AND Ql:I\.ER TO Hl:XT I N THE FOREST NEAR TO
THE BORDER OF THE PHILISTINES. H E FOl:ND A GAZELLE
and chased after it and shot arrows at it, but he could not
catch it, for it a\·oided him again and again and escaped.
And Da,·id was drawn after it bevond the border and
came to the region of the Philistines on the border of Gath,
and he was greatly wearied by his hunting. And there in
a field was a Philistine warrior whose name was Yishbi,
brother of that Goliath whom David slew. He, too, was of
the offspring of the giants of old time, big and lofty like
his brother, and like him heavily armed. When he saw
David, he said,
' " Ha,·e I found thee, 0, thou slayer of my brother ! "
'And h e seized him, pulled him down from his horse,
32
bound him, put him beneath a thick and very heavy beam,
a beam from the wine press, and sat upon the beam. And
God wrought a miracle for David: the earth sank beneath
him and the beam did not touch him or do him hurt.
' Now the horse on which David had been riding ran on
homeward, rushing like the wind, leaping hills, mounting
crags, snorting and sweating from fright.
� It was the sixth day of the week, near the entering in of
the Sabbath; and Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, captain of
the army of David, came in with water and washed
himself. And he perceived suddenly and, lo, the water
wherein he washed brought up spots of blood, and it was
marvellous in his sight.
� While he yet marvelled, behold, a dove came and flut
tered to and fro above his head, beating with its wings and
moaning. While he yet wondered what this might mean,
behold, the King's horse gave out a loud and bitter whin
ny, and Abishai lifted up his eyes and saw the King's horse
with loosened saddle running to and fro beyond the river
as though it were possessed.
� And Abishai trembled and said,
' "Some great evil must have befallen the King ! "
� And h e put o n his shin and went i n haste to the King's
house and, behold, the King was not yet returned from his
hunting, and already the day was almost spent. And he
was greatly anxious and he called his servants and said,
' "Bring hither the King's horse at once ! "
� And they brought him the King's horse. Now i t was as
fleet of foot as a gazelle, and he mounted it and rode out
into the open country. He found the tracks of David and
the tracks of the gazelle, and he flew like an eagle, leaping
over mountain and valley, and hill and dale. A little while
and the horse had borne him to the country of the Philis·
tines.
' As he sped on the way, still some distance from Gath, lo.
33
Orpah, the old crone Orpah, wife of Yishbi's great-grand
father, was squatting beside the highway at the cross-roads,
beneath a sacred tree, spinning flax. When he was about
to pass by she lay in wait to kill him, and hurled her
spindle-whorl at his forehead. But Abishai was on his
guard. He turned aside his head, put out his hand and
caught the spindle-whorl.
! The old woman saw that her aim had failed, so she
twisted her shrivelled features into a kindly look, and said,
! "Oh, thou mighty man, fetch me the spindle-whorl: it
slipped by accident out of my hand."
! But Abishai, filled with bitterness against her, hurled
back the spindle-whorl at her head with all his might, and
said,
! "Here it is, thou wicked one ! "
! Dead she fell o n the highway on top of her spun flax
with the spindle-whorl in her head.
! Abishai hurried away. When he drew near to Gath,
Yishbi saw him from afar, and he said,
! "Now are they two, and I am but one ! Shall I stand up
against them ? "
! He thrust his spear into the ground point upwards, and
David, still bound, he tossed up into the air so as to make
him drop on to the spear point. Then a mighty spirit came
over Abishai, and he cried out,
! "0 Lord, save the King ! "
! And David remained poised between eanh and sky, and
did not drop down on to the spear.
! That day Abishai saved the King from the hand of
Yishbi. He set him on his horse, and they fled with Yishbi
pursuing after them on his mighty steed along the high
way. By the sacred tree he caught up with them: a single
space separated them. Yishbi raised his javelin to strike
through them both together. But suddenly Abishai turned
to him and said,
! "See there ! See ! Thy mother's corpse ! "
! N o sooner did h e remind Yishbi of his mother than
Yishbi's strength turned from him and the javelin dropped
out of his hand. Abishai rose up against him, cut off his
head with his sword, and left the corpse on the highway
beside the corpse of Orpah. Then David and he came back
to their home in safety before the night had fallen.
! Then David's men sware unto him, saying,
! "No more shalt thou go fonh with us to war, that thou
extinguish not the lamp of Israel."
35
THE SWEET SINGER OF ISRAEL
XOW DAVID THE KIXG HAD A HARP WHICH WAS HU�G
ABOVE HIS BED OPPOSITE THE WIXDOWS. WHEN MIDNIGHT
DREW NEAR, A LIGHT ::\ORTH WI::\D BLEW UPON THE HARP,
making the strings vibrate and tremble gently, so that the

harp made music by itself. Then would David awake and
pour out his soul in music and song; and until break of day
his voice ascended to God while the morning stars sang
together.
� And at dawn of day the elders of the people and his cap
tains came up and brought before him all the affairs of the
people and their many needs. Hardly had the sun risen
than David, at the head of his warriors, stood up, mighry
and terrible like a lion among young lions, and all his hosts
rejoiced to go fonh to war.
� In the daytime David gave himself to heroic deeds and
to war, and in the night time to music and song. Such
through all his days was David's rule of life.
� There came a dav when David went fonh to muse in
the field, and his 1-ieart was YCry cheerful. He called to
36
memory all the many songs which he had sung to God
throughout his life from the beginning until now, and he
lifted up his heart and said,
! "0 God, can there be yet another creature on earth who
hath sung before thee so much as I?"
! The words were yet in his mouth, when suddenly a frog
hopped up from the edge of a pool close by and uttered
its voice, and said,
! "Let not thy heart be proud, 0 David ! My songs are
mightier far than the songs of thy mouth ! "
37
THE DEATH OF DAVID
XOW AFTER DAVID HAD LIVED SEVENTY YEARS HIS TIME
DREW NEAR, AND, BY THE WORD O F GOD, THE ANGEL O F
DEATH CAJ\IE D O W N TO HIM AT THE ENDING O F THE D A Y
to take away his soul. He found David sitting in the house

of cedars, and David's mouth ceased not from psalms and
son[!s to God. For it was the Sabbath day, and all his life
the 'King had devoted that day to God, from its coming in
until its going out. And the Angel could not come near to
him, for songs to God are a defence from death for them
that sing. Therefore the Angel of Death dealt subtly.
�He came to the garden behind the house and made a
mstling among the trees. David came out to the garden to
see what was the noise, but the high praises of God ceased
not in his mouth. He was yet treading the steps of the
garden, and, behold, a stair beneath him was broken, and,
for a moment, his singing ceased.
! Then was it that the Angel of Death overcame him; and
David fell backwards into the bosom of the flowers in the
garden beds with his face turned toward heaven.
.. �
-..·· ·
' One moment the face of the King in his hoary majesty
still reflected the glow of the setting sun at the ending of
the Sabbath, with rich and abiding glory; then, suddenly,
the sun kissed his mouth with a farewell kiss, and the lips
of the sweet singer grew dumb for ever amid the sweet
scented flowers.
' King David died. Yet surely his spirit endureth in his
people for ever, and his songs shall not depan from the
mouth of all who, thirsting on eanh for the living God,
are ever refreshed by the breath of the Almighty.
' So, Sabbath by Sabbath, as the shadows fall and the eve
ning breeze rustleth in the trees, when the humble in the
lan<i and the generations of the pious gather together in
liouses of prayer and temples of God, when the afflicted in
spirit and broken in heatt among his people pour out their
liumility, their thirsting hean, and their longing soul be
fore the living God in the prayers of David, the son of
Jesse- then the saintly King, the sweet singer of Israel,
liveth eternally in each man's soul and lips.
'And at the close of every Sabbath when the man of
Israel sitteth down to eat bread and bid farewell to the
Princess Sabbath, then is his food holy to the name and
memory of King David: to this day it is the Meal of David
the anointed King.
' Therefore let it be said in Israel,
' "David, King of Israel, yet liveth and endureth ! "
39
HOW TWO W O R KM E N B ROKE I N T O
KING DAVID'S TOMB
T H E Y THAT HAVE RETURNED FROM E XILE AND DWELL IN
JERUSALEM TELL THESE THINGS ABOUT THE TOMB O F
T H E KINGS O F T H E HO L'SE O F DAVID.
'Long after the Jews were exiled and the land was left
desolate, none knew where was the place of the Tomb of
the Kings, for as destruction waxed great in the land, the
place was forgotten and all memory of it perished.
'It came to pass after many days that the chief priest of
the Gentiles which ruled in Jerusalem came to build him
self a house of prayer. He hired workmen and bade them
make the foundations of the house of stones from the ruins
which were on Mount Zion, the City of David, the place
where aforetime was the Tomb of the Kings of the house
of David.
' And two of the workmen went thither to hew stones.
When they raised a certain large stone they found the en
trance of a cavern below it. And they said one to the other,
' "Come, let us go down into the cavern and search there
in: it may be that we shall find hidden treasure."
40
! And they did so and went down through the mouth of
the cavern. They entered into a tunnel below the ground
and carne to a great palace. And the palace was built of
marble columns overlaid with silver and gold. And therein
stood a table of gold, and on the table was a sceptre of gold
and a crown of gold. And stone coffins, tightly sealed,
stood one beside the other. These were the coffins wherein
lay the bones of the Kings of Judah, a coffin for every
King.
! And the two workmen pressed forward to reach the
inner palace, when, of a sudden, there arose a mighty wind
which hurled them fonh from the door of the palace and
cast them down to the ground. And until evening they lay
like dead men.
! While they still lay there, a voice carne into their ears:
! "Arise, get ye gone from this place, lest ye perish ! "
! They gathered strength enough to stand up, and they

left the cavern oppressed and affrighted, and carne and
told all these things to the priest.
! Now there was in Jerusalem a good and pious Jew, from
among them that mourn over Zion, whose name was
Rabbi Abraham. And the priest summoned him and asked
of him the interpretation of the vision which the work
men had seen in the cave.
! And the good man said,
! "This must be the cavern of the Tomb of the Kings of
the house of David; and it is not fitting in God's sight that
strangers should break into it."
! And the priest commanded them to put back the stone
over the mouth of the tomb and to seal it up. They left but
a single small air-hole. And whatsoever may be in the cave
is hidden from the eyes of men unto this day.
THE PASHA'S SWORD
THE PASHA O F J ERUSALE:\1 ONCE CAME TO VISIT THE
PLACE O F THE TOMB O F THE KINGS O F THE HOUSE O F
DAVID, A N D , A S H E BOWED D O W N TO PRAY, HIS SWORD
slipped out of its scabbard and fell through the hole which
led down to the tomb. Now the hilt of this sword was en
cmsted with gems and precious stones, and the Pasha com
manded them that stood by to fetch up his sword, no
matter what happened. So they let down an Ishmaelite
with ropes into the lowest part of the tomb. After they
had waited until patience failed them yet heard nothing
from him, they drew him up and brought him out, and
lo, he was dead: there was no breath of life in his nostrils.
� They let down another man; and he died likewise. So
too \\·as it with a third man and with a fourth.
�Then the Pasha sware in his rage, saying,
� "By the Prophet! my sword shall surely be restored to
me, though it cost the lives of all that dwell in Jerusalem!"
� But the Cadi, the judge of the Ishmaclites, said to him,
� " Sir, why destroy in vain so many from among the tme
believers? Hearken now to me! Send one of thy servants
42
to the chief Rabbi of the Jews, and he will provide thee a
man from his congregation to bring thee up the sword.
And if he at all refuse, then make a decree that every Jew
be destroyed. But I know that by the hand of the Jews
thy desire shall be satisfied, for they are acceptable in the
sight of David their Prophet, and to them it will be no
snare."
! The counsel seemed good in the Pasha's sight, and he
sent to the chief Rabbi of the Jews in Jerusalem, saying,
! "Send me a Jew to get me back my sword from the
Tomb of David, lest thou and all thy congregation
perish! "
! And the chief Rabbi was greatly afraid, for never before
had the like been heard, that a man break into the Tomb of
the Kings and be guiltless. But the Pasha's command was
heavy upon him and could not be gainsaid.
! He wept greatly and besought the Pasha to grant him
three days' respite. And it was granted to him.
! Thereupon the Rabbi called together all the Jews that
were in Jerusalem and ordained a fast for three days. Each
day they went and bowed themselves down in prayer at
the tomb of Rachel, and kindled lamps of olive oil, and
offered petitions and supplications and poured fonh their
tears like a winter torrent. And on the morning of the
founh day when the congregation was wearied by fasting
and lamentation, the Rabbi stood up and said to them,
! "My children, which of you will give honour to God
and go at the Pasha's command to the Tomb of the Holy
Kings? Who knoweth: it may be that God hath heard our
prayer and that no evil will befall the agent of the holy
people. But, if not, it will be for him an act of exceeding
merit to give his life for the people of the Lord and sanc
tify the name of God before the multitude."
! He made an end of speaking, and all the congregation
stood silent: not one among them answered.
4-3
!J When the Rabbi saw that thus it was, he said,
!J "Then let us cast lots."
!J And they cast lots. And the lot fell upon the servant of
the synagogue. Now he was an upright man and simple in
all his ways, and he answered and said,
!J "Behold, here am I, a servant of the God of Israel!"
,- He made no delay, but went and immersed himself and
cleansed himself, and sanctified himself, and put on Sab
bath raiment. He kissed the members of his household and
directed his steps toward the Tomb of the Kings, prepared
for death. The Rabbi and all the congregation went after
him to send him on his way, weeping and praying to God,
and encouraging the servant of the synagogue with words
of blessing and comfon and compassion.
!J When they carne near to the place of the Tornb of the
Kings, behold, the Pasha and a band of his companions
stood there awaiting their corning and armed with weap
ons. And the servant of the synagogue went fonh from
among the congregation and carne near to the Pasha, and
said,
!J "Here am I: I will go down into the tomb! "
!J And the servant o f the synagogue was let down by a
rope through the hole in the ground and disappeared from
their sight.
!J A great and heavy silence fell about them.
!J The Pasha bent down and put his ear to the dark hole
and listened diligently. The Jews stood like marble pillars
and none uttered a sound; but every hean was trembling
and beating strongly. Not many moments passed, when
lo, a weak voice carne up from the bottom of the tomb,
saying,
!J "Draw me out!"
!J And they drew up the rope, and lo, tliere appearea the
blade of the sword, and, after it, the hilt encrusted with
gems and precious stones, and, after it, the head of the
44
servant of the synagogue with face as white as the dead,
and, at last, his whole body came up from the ground.
Then he came and held out the sword to the Pasha.
! And the Pasha was greatly amazed at what he saw, and
all that stood there fell on their faces and said,
! "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! "
! And the congregation of Israel exulted and rejoiced and
brought home the servant of the synagogue with cymbals
and dances. And to him and to his household they gave
many gifts, and there was joy and gladness throughout all
the house of Israel.
! And the people came to the servant of the synagogue to
inquire of him concerning the appearance of the Tomb of
the Kings, and the mysteries of the cavern, and what had
befallen him there. For they craved greatly to learn some
what of these marvels. But he kept a watch over his tongue
and was like one that is dumb.
! Only in the ears of the aged Rabbi did he reveal his
secret - how that, in the darkness at the entrance of the
tomb there suddenly stood before him, with face shining
in hoary majesty, an old man who held out to him the
sword, silently and without any word.
45
THE WASHERWOMAN
IX JERUSALE:\T THERE LIVED AN HOXEST AND PIOUS WASH

ER\HJ:\L\X. SHE \\"AS CHILDLESS AND A WIDOW. SHE LIVED
BY THE L\ BOL"R O F I l E R HANDS, BY \\"ASHIXG T H E CLOTHES

of the richer folk in the town. Also she washed the clothes
of tl� c Ishmael ire soldier who guarded the Tomb of King
Dan d.
� On e day she brought back to this soldier his clothes,
washed \\·hire as snow. They were alone in the courtyard
of the tomb, and he cast his eyes upon her and imagined
e,·il things against her. He spoke guilcfull�·, saying,
� "Thou art a worthy woman and of good understanding
4E
and performest thy work faithfully. Therefore have I
determined to requite thee well. Wouldest thou see the
splendour of the inner chamber in the Tomb of David,
which the eye of no Jew hath ever seen? "
! And in her simplicity she answered,
! "If thou wilt do me this kindness I will for ever bless
thee."
! "Come, then," said the soldier, "and follow me."
! He went down the steps in the entrance of the tomb and
the washerwoman followed. They reached the door of
the tomb below the ground and the soldier opened the
door and said to the woman,
! "Enter in!"
! Her feet had but touched the threshold when the soldier
pushed her inside the tomb, followed her and shut the
door. Standing in the darkness he burst into a rude laugh
and cried out,
! "Well caught, silly pigeon ! Now I have thee ! "
! He stretched out his arms to seize her. She turned away
and fled in terror, but he ran after her and caught her. And
in the darkness of the tomb they struggled together: no
sound was heard except their gasps and the writhing of
their wrestling bodies. She had all but fainted beneath the
villain when, suddenly, a distant sound was heard in the
tomb, and for a moment a faint light shone, moving the
soldier to amazement. While he was still astonished and
alarmed, the woman slipped away from him and fled, and,
seeking in the darkness for a place of safety, but not seeing
where she went, she fell into a niche in the wall and dis
appeared. The soldier, though he felt and groped about,
could not find her, for the darkness had grown still blacker
and God had hidden her from his eyes. He knew that he
had been foiled in his villainy, and he gnashed with his
teeth and reviled the woman and cursed her with a violent
curse. He clenched a wicked fist and said in his fury,
+7
! "Now, thou slut, thou shalt see what my vengeance will
.
be ., .
! He went out of the tomb and slammed the door in hot
anger, shutting it tightly and locking it. And the washer
woman was left in deep darkness and gloom.
! The soldier ran to the Cadi, the judge of the Ishmaelites,

and told him a tale about the washerwoman, saying,
! "Behold, a Jewish woman entered by stealth into the
Tomb of the Prophet David, which it is not lawful to do;
and when I knew of it I shut her in tightly and ran to tell
thee."
! And the Cadi's anger was kindled and he said,
! "As the Prophet liveth, this Jewish woman hath sinned
at the cost of her life. Fetch her out and let her be burnt ! "
! Now the washerwoman had heard the soldier's words
of rage in the tomb and knew that she was in dire peril,
and that but a step lay betwixt her and death. She was
greatly afraid. She cast herself down on the ground and
spread out her hands in the darkness and wept and prayed,
saying,
! "Save me, 0 God, for thy servant David's sake! "
! And as she wept and prayed there suddenly stood before
her an aged man in hoary majesty, and the brightness of
his face was as the brightness of the sun, and his rare splen
dour filled the tomb. He took her gently by the hand and
led her by dark and winding ways through an under
ground passage until he came out with her into a desolate
field, a place of refuse heaps and desened ruins. And he
said to her,
! "Get thee down to thine home quickly, my daughter!
l\Iake no delay. Stand beside the washing-trough, washing
clothes as is thy wont, and let none know aught of what
hath befallen thee."
! Then, before she could thank her preserver, he dis
appeared.
! In the meantime the Pasha, the judge, the soldiers of the
city and many Ishrnaelites carne to the tomb and searched
in every corner from one end to the other, looking for the
evil doer to punish her fittingly for her wickedness. But
they did not find her. And the Cadi was very wroth and in
the heat of his anger he said to the accuser,
! "Hast thou brought me here to make mock of me?"
! And the soldier, with chattering teeth, answered,
! "I swear by God and His Prophet that I have told naught
save the truth: with my own eyes I saw the Jewish woman
within the tomb: was it not the washerwoman, whose
name is Such-an-one ? "
! And he gave the very name of the washerwoman. So the
Cadi sent cenain of his attendants in haste to the house
where lived the woman whose name had been told him,
to see her and to examine her. And they carne to her house
and found her working diligently, as at any other time:
there was nothing different. Pretending ignorance she said
to the Cadi's servants,
! "What want ye here?"
! And they said to her,
! "Hast thou never been outside the door of thine house
to-day?"
! And she, feigning simplicity, said,
! "Do I have the time to go in and out? Much and heavy
work have I, and the day is shon: from break of day until
now I have not stirred hence; yet even so who knoweth
whether I can finish my work by nightfall."
! And the attendants went out and carne back to the Pasha
and told how they had found the woman working beside
the washing-trough, and how she had answered in her
innocence. The Pasha and thev that stood by heard their
words, and they said,
49
� "The soldier must have given a lying testimony against
the woman."
� The Cadi gave the word, and they seized the soldier and
threw him into the fire of dried olive branches which they
had made ready for the washerwoman. And the fire de
voured him.
� From that day forth God did well unto the washer
woman and caused her to find favour in the eyes of all
them that knew her. And all the people of the congrega
tion brought her their clothes to be washed; and they
added to her wages, for they were all minded to catch
from her mouth a hint of her secret. But she kept a guard
over her mo.uth and her tongue; and, if any man tried to
learn aught from her, she showed displeasure, so that h e
let her alone and said no more.
� Yet her secret did not go down with her to the grave,
for when her days were fulfilled that she should die, she
told her neighbo � rs who stood about her bed all the mira
cle and the marvel which God had wrought for her in the
tomb and how He had saved her from a cruel death.
� The little money that she had gathered together by her
labour she left to the congregation of Israel in Jerusalem
for some work of charity or mercy. And she made it a
condition that a fitting person, pious and learned in the
Holy Law, should be appointed; and that year by year,
on the anniversary of the day of her death, he should visit
her grave and pray for her soul. And so is it done for her,
year by year, unto this day. Blessed be her memory!
50
KING DAVID IN HIS TOMB
IN A CERTAIN TOWN THERE LIVED TWO PIO"CS AXD DILI
GENT YOUTHS, STUDENTS OF SCRIPTl:RE AXD THE WRIT
INGS O F THE JEWISH SAGES. THEY WERE FAITHFl:L AXD
devoted friends. Both were very poor. They had nothing

in the world except their bodies, lean and wasted b�· fast
ing, and clothes worn thin by years of usc. Their eyes were
weak from much poring onr books which told of holy
mysteries and the time when i\Icssiah should come. They
lived always alone, shut up with God in a small upper
chamber, six feet square, built into a wall, each in his own
corner, each alone with his books, with mind intent on the
time when Messiah should come and bring redemption.
� One night, at the close of Sabbath, when the moon was
seven days old, and the two youths lay sleeping on the
floor in their upper chamber as their habit was, each curled
up in his corner, with his little wallet for a pillow, while
the crescent moon peered at them through the window
and shed its pale light among the shadows of the chamber
- that night each dreamed the same dream.
! They were standing in the open field reciting the Bless
ing of the Moon before it reached its fulness. 1\nd it came
to pass that as they turned to greet one another as was their
wont, behold, yet another man, exceedingly old, whose
name or place they knew not, stood with them and prayed,
his eyes steadfastly turned to the sky, and his beard flow
ing over his breast like liquid silver; and from his waist
there hung a key of gold. The two y ouths were greatly
astonished, but they did not break o ff their prayer: on the
contrary, at the sight of the aged man their hearts waxed
suddenly warm and their prayer flamed in their mouths
like a torch of fire. They danced before the moon and
their very bones sang aloud, and, at the last, their prayer
was caught up and became a bright flame, and, like lions
in the field, all three thunderously shouted,
! "David, King of Israel, yet liveth and endureth! David,
King of Israel, yet liveth and endureth ! David, King of
Israel, yet liveth and endureth ! "
! As they went on shouting, again and again, behold, a
miracle! As shout followed shout the crescent moon grew
gradually fuller and gradually brighter, until it was wholly
full and all of it bright, with no trace in it of shadow or
flaw. The moon stood in the heart of heaven, perfect and
pure, with its light as clear and strong as the splendour of
the sun in its might, pouring down its light over all the
region round about. Suddenly the aged one looked upon
them and said,
! "May your Sabbath be peace, ye sons of the living God,
and your month a blessing! Know ye, that I am the guardi-
52
an of the Tomb of King David. Every month, at the time
of the Blessing of the Moon, when that great cry goeth
up from the thousand myriads of Israel, 'David, King of
Israel, yet liveth and endureth! ' King David in his tomb
is awakened from sleep; and raising his head a little he
silently holdeth out his hands toward the jar of water by
his pillow; and it is as though he was thinking and hoping,
'Is there none to come and pour water over the hands of
his King to loosen him from his bonds of sleep, so that he
may come to bring redemption unto his people ? ' But
always the hands of the King return empty: none from
among the children in exile cometh to pour water over the
hands of his King when he awaketh : those moments of
acceptance and compassion pass vainly to their end, and
the King's head falleth feebly back on his couch. But now,
if in truth and sincerity your souls long for the redemp
tion, do not, I pray you, delay for a moment: go forth, go
through the land; and, at the end of thirty days, when next
the moon is seven days old, ye shall find the tomb where
King David lieth sleeping. Then go in unto him. Accord
ing to all that God shall teach you by His messengers on
your journey, so shall ye do. And in all your going out
and your coming in keep yourselves diligently from all
that is unclean, fall not back before any adversary, and let
not your heart turn aside after any desirable thing. Behold,
I have warned you. J\hy your going forth be in peace! "
� And when h e had made an end of speaking, the moon
suddenly dimmed and returned to its crescent form. And
the aged man disappeared from their sight.
� And the two youths arose early in the morning as was
their wont to bewail the banishment of the Divine Pres
ence from the Holy Place and to mourn over the destruc
tion of the Temple of God. And they remembered the
dream which they had dreamed that night, and they each
recounted it to the other. And they were greatly amazed,
53
for their creams were alike in all things. And they laid the
matter to heart and said,
� "It can only be that God this night hath sent to us a true
word by the hand of His messenger. We must arise and be
doing ! "
� They made no delay but arose and girded u p their loins,
took each his staff and his wallet in his hand and left their
place and city to journey through the earth to seek the
Tomb of King David according to the word of the aged
man in the dream. And they went by day and by night, by
night and by day, and they wandered and strayed in every
direction, turning into byways and inquiring everywhere;
but they found it not.
� And they asked them that passed by,
� "Tell us, ye that pass by, know ye where is the Tomb of
King David? "
� But none could tell them or make answer, for no man
knew the place thereof. And the two youths were in evil
plight and their courage ebbed because of the toil of the
JOUrney.
� One day when night was near they came to a ruined
place in the open country where they were minded to stay
and rest. They loosened their girdles, let their staves fall
from their hands, and sat on a stone in the shade of an
over-hanging wall, panting for breath. Suddenly they
heard the sound of low and sorrowful murmuring from
the depth of the ruins. When they turned to see what it
might be, they saw a dove, mourning, her feathers awry,
sitting in a corner alone in secret, quietly moaning; and at
the sound of her moaning their heart went out in pity,
and they asked her,
� "What ailcth thee, daughter of doves, that thou art
downcast? And \\·hy moanest thou so? "
� And the dove, beating with her wings, murmured
bitterly,
54
Woe is me, woe is me !
Oh, my nestlings, where are ye ?
The vulture seized you for its prey
And left destruction and dismay.
Woe is me, woe is me !
! The two youths wept and their eyes flowed with tears,
for their compassion was stirred for the bereaved dove in
her loneliness. When they had wiped away their tears
they said,
! "Of a truth there is no sorrow like thy sorrow, 0 un
comfoned dove! Yet know that the day of recompense
and comfon is nigh. We are two companions that have
seen how Messiah delayeth, and we are come fonh to seek
the Tomb of King David. Perchance thou knowest the
way whereby we may reach it? "
! And the dove became alen, clapped with her wings and
answered,
The secret's mine, the secret's mine!

Yet seventy miles and seven more still
There in a field ye'll find a hill;
Alone on its crown stands a palm tree bare.
Of it shall ye ask, and it shall declare
Your right way.
Go, delay not-nor forget ye the dove.
! So the two youths bestirred themselves, threw off slum

ber from their eyelids, girded their loins and set out again
on their journey.
! They had not gone far when a wild creature stood in
their path, performing strange antics. It was not very big,
but its appearance was odd and ridiculous. It would stand
55
on its hind legs, skip about backwards and drum upon its
belly, waving its tail, distoning its face, stretching out its
tongue, rolling itself over on the ground, and doing other
such things. And they knew that here was a panther that
had come to frustrate them.
� Now it is the way of the panther to frisk and gambol in
front of wayfarers until they are overcome with laughter,
so that for the time prudence forsaketh them and they fool
ishly run after it, holding their sides in laughter, and follow
it to the mouth of its lair, when it will suddenly leap upon
them, stick its teeth and claws into them and, while they
are still overcome by laughter, suck out their brains and
their blood. But the two youths knew a magic charm
which would take away the panther's power: they stuck
out three fingers at it, spat thrice and passed by safely. Nor
did they laugh. The wild creature saw that this time its
plot had failed; it lifted up its lithe little legs and ran off
ashamed.
� The two youths saw in this a sign that God was well
pleased with them, and their hean was strengthened and
they felt fresh courage. And they went by day and by
night, by night and by day, and they wandered and strayed
in every direction, turning into byways, until after many
days they came to a hill standing alone in a field and, on the
top of it, a solitary palm tree such as the dove had described.
� They made haste to find shelter beneath it, to taste of
its fruit and to refresh themselves. But when they came
near they found its branches broken and its shade scanty;
and at its foot lay a ruined nest: all was naked, bare and
barren. The two youths were grieved to the hean and said
to the palm tree,
� "What aileth thee, 0 palm tree, that thou mournest so?
And why an thou stript of thine adornment? "
� And the palm tree beat together its broken branches and
answered bitterly,
Woe is me, woe is me!
My branches, where are ye?
Oh, where are ye, my boughs!
Gone is my strength and gone my
towering pride,
Gone my fair fruit, and gone my honey
sweet.
The stormy wind hath laid my beauty waste,
Laid low my crown and stript my glory bare.
All broken now, I bow me down to eanh.
� The two youths wept when they heard the plaint of the
palm tree and they sat with bowed head, mourning on the
ground. When they rose up out of the dust they said,
� "Of a truth, thy wound is grievous, 0 poor, oppressed
palm tree! Yet know that the day of healing and salvation
is nigh. We are two companions that have seen how Mes
siah delayeth and salvation lingereth. And we are come
forth to seek the Tomb of King David. Perchance thou
knowest the way whereby we may reach it?"
� And the palm tree became alen, and a joyful rustling
passed over its broken branches, and it clapped with its
dry boughs and answered and said,

Yet seventy miles and seven times more,
I know a valley a river runs o'er
With murmuring waves and waters deep
Which moan from grief and softly weep.
Ask this river: 'twill tell you your way.
Forget not the palm tree. And make no delay.
� So the two youths rose up and went on their way. They

passed close by a forest and, before they had gone far, lo,
57
there came out from the depths of the forest two dogs,
black and big, most terrible in appearance, with the stamp
of leprosy on their heads. They barked, yet they gave out
no sound. The two dogs stood, waiting, on either side of the
way, with their tails between their legs, their tongues slav
ering, their spittle dribbling, and savage determination in
their red eyes. The two youths knew that these were the
baleful demons, Samac! and Lilith, which were come fonh
in the guise of dogs to frustrate them in their journey; and
they were very sore afraid, and their hean failed them, for
the dogs' soundless barking penetrated like ice into their
bones.
! But they quickly recovered their courage. They whis
pered a charm which they had learnt, and beat the ground
three times with their staves. The dogs could not with
stand the charm. In fear and panic they fled straight before
them, barking as they fled, yet making no sound; while the
two youths stuck out three fingers at them and spat after
them thrice.
� With strength renewed they continued on their way.
Thev took no rest by day or by night, by night or by day,
until they came to a rushing river at the bottom of a valley.
Thev sat on its bank to rest and refresh themselves. Hardly
had they sat down than their ears caught the murmur of
the waters like silent and never-ending weeping. The two
youths were sorely distressed and in their grief they asked
the river,
! "What aileth thee, 0 river, that thou weepest so? And
why do thv waters moan?"
"
! And the river beat its waves together and answered,

Fain must I weep, fain must I moan:
Tears are my source, bloodshed my spring;
Trials of God sore beset me.
58
Where are my ripplings that dance and rejoice?
Where is their echoing tumultuous voice?
Gone from my heart are its glamorous dreams,
Dead and decayed are the fish in my streams.
� When the two youths heard this their hearts moaned

also, and their tears and the water in the river mingled to
gether. At last they were too weary to weep more. They
dried their tears, and said,
� "Of a truth, 0 river, thy grief is deeper than the sea! Yct
know that the day of comfort and respite is nigh. We are
two companions, fellow townsmen, who have seen that
the Redeemer delayeth, and we have vowed to God to
bring nearer the day of his coming. And now we go to
seek the Tomb of King David. Dost thou know or hast
thou heard which is the way whereby we may reach it? "
! Then the face of the river lightened a little and a ripple
of joy suddenly passed over it, and it clapped with its
waves, and said,

Some ten times seventy miles remain,
Then after many days ye'Il reach
A place of stones and desolate,
Where once a holy city stood.
Turn right, tum left, then wend ye straight
Until ye find the hill of God
And see therein a tight-closed gate.
There shall ye meet an aged man
With hoary face majestic. Go,
Pursue your way, be tireless ever!
And ne'er forget what saith the river.
59
� So the two youths again bestirred themselves and went
on. They were still among the rocks near the river when a
great and monstrous snake suddenly burst from its lair.
Its eyes were green and flashed angrily. On its head was
as it were a crest of fine gold, and a golden fringe along its
back. Its mouth bubbled and foamed. Gliding swiftly it
came and stretched itself like a beam across the path, point
ing its head with opened jaws and venomous tongue
towards the two youths. They knew that this was the pri
meval serpent which was come forth to oppose them.
Great trembling took hold on them. But they soon took
courage and whispered a charm which they knew. From
beneath their feet they took up handfuls of earth and
threw it thrice towards the serpent. The serpent could
not withstand the charm and fled in fear and trembling,
gliding through the dust, bubbling and foaming, while
they stuck out three fingers at it and spat after it thrice
until it escaped out of their sight.
� Then their strength returned to them and they journeyed
onwards. They took no rest by day or by night, by night
or by day, until their feet grew blistered and their clothes
and shoes fell to pieces and they scarcely could walk any
farther. They had almost lost hope when, raising their eyes,
they saw in the distance the hill of God crowned with des
olate ruins.
� Their confidence revived, and, passing through pathless
wastes among broken stones, thev turned to the right and
g
they turned to the left and the ri they went strai h t for
ward, according to the word of the river. \Vhen they
drew near to the hill thev stood still. While they were yet
ga�ing around them, behold, an aged man wii:h flowing
harr came to meet them from the side of the hill; and he
was clothed in a mantle and a leathern girdle about his
loins, and from his waist there hung a key of gold.
� The two youths recognized him: was it not that same
6o
aged man whom they had seen in the dream? And they re
joiced in their heart exceedingly and ran to meet him.
They bowed themselves before him and said,
! "Peace be to thee, honoured and aged one! "
! "Peace, peace to you, sons of the living God ! " he an
swered, as his face brightened. And he made signs to them
that they should follow him.
! They followed him in silence. He came to a hidden iron
door in the side of the hill. He knocked upon it loudly and
called out three times,
! "Open, ye gates! "
! The door opened. And h e said,
! "Go forward boldly. Fear not. When ye come to a
squared stone in the wall, remove it and enter into the
chamber beyond. There shall ye find King David, lying
at rest on his bier, and a jar of water by his pillow. It is the
very water of salvation, drawn by the First Adam from
the rivers of the Garden of Eden, which will cause re
demption to spring up in the latter days. And it shall be,
when the King holdeth out his hands to you, that ye shall
hasten and pour the water over them. Then will the King
awaken from his sleep. Like a lion from its lair will he come
forth and bring redemption to his people; and the scat
tered members thereof from the four corners of the earth
will he gather together unto Jerusalem."
! While the two youths still stood amazed at the words of
the aged man, flames of fire separated him from them, and
lo, a chariot of fire and horses of fire - and the aged one
went up before their eyes into heaven in a whirlwind.
! Then they knew that with their own eyes they had seen
Elijah the Prophet, the forerunner of redemption, and
their heart grew numb and they fell with their faces to the
ground. After a little while they arose in haste to go for
ward into the tomb, as the old man had told them. They
forced their way through the darkness and came to the far
6r
end in safety. And there they found a squared stone fixed
into the wall. They tore out the stone, and lo, before them
was a chamber, all of it overlaid with gold, and in the
chamber a golden bier whereon lay King David in his
hoary majesty. His appearance was like the appearance
of a sleeping lion. Divine glory shone upon his face. By
his pillow stood a sword and a jar of water. At his feet
burned a wax candle. A golden harp was hung upon the
wall, and, on a table of gold before it, were crown and
sceptre all of precious stones; and there a scroll of the
Psalms lay open. While they yet gazed in wonder at this
sig-ht, the King stretched out his hands towards them.
41" But, at that selfsame moment, the two youths, distracted
bv the profusion of gold and the many rare and precious
things, had their eyes fastened on a great sparkling object
in the King's crown. Its appearance was like the appear
ance of the full moon which they had seen that night in
their dream. Overcome by surprise they stood as though
they were dreaming still: the soles of their feet clave to
the ground. But lo, while they yet delayed, the King drew
back his hands. He sighed quietly as with a breaking of
loins, and his head fell feebly back upon the bier.
! Then the two youths shook themselves free of their
amazement. They remembered the jar of water. But it was
of no avail. They had missed the appointed time and
naught could bring it back.
! Suddenly black horror came about them. The vision
disappeared and was as though it had never been. A wind
burst forth from secret places and hurled them into a
country very far away from the tomb. When they came
to themselves they looked, and lo, they were sitting be
side the ruins where they had first rested early in their
journey. And out of the ruins there reached their ears the
voice of the dove, quietly moaning,
62
SOME STORIES ABOUT
KING SOLOMON
THE EGG
'
O N E DAY KING DAVID S SHEPHERDS S A T DOWN I� /1. FIELD
TO REFRESH THEMSELVES AND EAT OF THE FOOD WHICH
THEY HAD BROUGHT I N THEIR WALLETS - BREAD AND
boiled eggs. One of the shepherds found that he had not

enough, and to satisfy his hunger he asked a companion to
lend him a boiled egg.
' "I will lend it thee only on the condition that thou vow
before witnesses that, at the appointed time, thou wilt give
i
me back an egg together with all the prof t and gain which
in the meantime such an egg would have brought to its
owner."
� And it seemed but a small thing in the eyes of him that
borrowed, and he took no account of it, for, said he,
4J "What profit or �ain can an egg bring to its owner'"
� So he agreed, saymg,
� "Be it as thou hast said."
! The other gave him an egg and called the others to bear
witness.
! After many days the lender came to demand what was
due to him, and the other said,
! "I owe thee only this single egg."
! But the lender said,
! "Thou errest, my brother! By my reckoning thou owest
me so much and so much."
! And he gave him the total reckoning, a very great sum,
far greater than the borrower could ever pay.
! The borrower grew angry and said,
! "Hast thou lost thy senses! Who ever saw or who ever
heard that so great a sum as thou now askest was paid in re
turn for a single egg? Thou dost but make a mock of me."
! But the lender was urgent and pressed him to pay ex
actly what he demanded. He abated not one fanhing.
They disputed strongly, the one arguing in this way and
the other in that. And so the matter came before King
David.
! ·when the King had heard the words of the suitors and
the words of the witnesses, he gave judgment, saying,
! "Thou, who didst borrow the egg must surely pay to
thy fellow suitor, the lender, according to all that thou
d idst promise with thy lips."
! But the man cried out,
! "Alas! my lord the King, I do not know how much that
0 ,
,
lS .
! His opponent held out to him his bill, and said,

! "One egg hatches out one chicken; one chicken in its
second year can produce eighteen chickens and a like
number every year; these chickens also, every one, can
every year produce eighteen chickens; since the day when
the egg was borrowed until now four years have passed . . . "
! In the end the reckoning was found to be a right reck
oning, and the sum of money to be paid for that egg was
66
very great, far greater than the borrower could ever pay.
And he left the King's presence in despair.
' As he went out through the door of the King's house
there met him Solomon, David's son, then but a small boy.
And Solomon saw the face of the man, and lo, it was troub
led; and he asked him why his face was troubled, and the
man told him what had happened to him and how, for
one boiled egg, the King had condemned him to pay his
adversary a great sum of money, far greater than he could
ever pay.
' Solomon saw his distress and took pity on him, and he
said,
' "Hearken to my counsel. This do, and thou shalt be quit
of the trouble which the egg hath brought upon thee. On
such a day, at an appointed time, my father the King goeth
out to visit the troops of his army in the field. Observe
this appointed time and go thou also out to the field and
draw near to the place where they assemble and where
the King's troops will pass. And as they go and as they
come, fill thy hand with boiled beans which thou shalt
have in readiness; and in the sight of the King and his sol
diers keep on sowing and scattering the boiled beans over
the ploughed field; and when they that pass by ask thee,
'\Vhy dost thou do this?', say, 'I am sowing boiled beans';
and if they marvel and say, 'Whoever saw anyone sowing
boiled beans!', then shalt thou say, 'And whoever saw
boiled eggs hatching out chickens! ' This do, and thus
speak, when the King and his army pass before thee."
� And the man did according to all that Solomon taught
him: he left nothing undone.
' When the King and his army went out to the field and
the troops passed by a certain piece of ground, they found
there a man sowing boiled beans; and they marvelled
greatly at the man and his doings. And some of them
could not refrain from asking him and saying,
67
! "What is this strange thing that thou doest?''
! And he answered according to the words which Solo
mon had put into his mouth. And it was a mystery to
them.
! And the matter came to the knowledge of the King,
and the King straightway remembered his judgment con
cerning the egg. He commanded that the man be brought
before him, and the King asked him, saying,
! "Tell me, my good man, and hide nothing. In all this is
there not the hand of my son, Solomon, and his counsel ? "
! And the man answered,
! "By my soul, 0 King, as thou sayest so it is."
! He told the King all the counsel that Solomon had given
and what he had taught him to do and to speak. He hid
nothing.
! Then the King sent his servants to bring Solomon unto
him, and, fixing a reproving eye on him, he said in anger,
! "vVhat hast thou to say concerning this?"
! But the small boy Solomon did not dread his father's
anger, but what was in his hean that did he speak plainly
with his lips, and he said,
! "Oh, my father, was it not a boiled egg which the man
took from his companion, an egg which could not be
hatched out and from which no chicken could break
through? Why, then, is he condemned to repay seven
and se\-entv times over? "
! And the King's face lightened when he heard the words
of Solomon, for thereby he perceived the boy's under
standing, his uprightness, and his courage. He kissed him
on the forehead, and said,
! "Of a truth, my son, thy judgment is more righteous
than mine. God bless thee, for that thou hast saved me
from wrong-doing' "
! And, turning to the man, he said,
! "Go, give thy companion a single egg in payment."
68
THE INHERITANCE
THERE LIVED IN LYDDA A VERY RICH 1\IERCHANT. HE HAD
SILVER AND GOLD AND POSSESSIONS AND VERY 1\!ANY
SLAVES. AND HIS GOODS INCREASED ABUNDANTLY AND HE
traded in far off lands. He had an only son who was yet
but a youth. And it came to pass that when the man grew
old and could no more go out and come in, his son helped
him in his trafficking and in all whereto he put fonh his
hand.
' And it came to pass one day that the old man gave into
his son's charge a ship laden with merchandise to take it
to the land of Africa. And the youth came to the land of
Africa where he got for himself many goods and posses
sions and enjoyed great blessing. He made no haste to re-
6g
turn to his father's house, and he trafficked yet more in the
land and lived there many days.
� While he yet delayed, the time drew near for the old
man, his father, to die, for his days were fulfilled. And he
called to him his servant, the steward of his house, and he
gave him charge over all his possessions, and he said,
� "Behold, I go the way of all the world, and my son is not
here to set his hand upon my eyes, for he is gone to a far
country and still delayeth his coming; and who knoweth
when he will return. When, therefore, I am dead do thou
take into thy charge my house and my possessions and all
that I have, and care for them faithfully until my son shall
return, and then shalt thou restore to him all his inheritance
honestly and justly. Swear to me that thou wilt not act
falsely to my only son ! "
� And the steward sware to him.
� When he had made an end of charging his steward the
old man died and was gathered unto his people.
� Now the steward was a villain and a rogue. After the
death of his aged master he behaved dishonestly with what
was entrusted to him and he took for himself all the goods
and property; and as for the bondmen and bondwomen
he seized them also and embittered their lives with hard
service, beating them cruelly. And when they could no
more endure his wickedness and his insolence they fled
away one by one; and in their stead he brought others who
had never known the old man or his son.
� And this servant ruled with a high hand. He ate and
drank like a glutton and grew fat, and every desire of his
unclean appetite he satisfi ed with wealth that was not his.
� And it came to pass that when the old man's son returned
from his travels he heard that his father was dead, and he
mourned for him. He went down to his father's house and
to his inheritance to take possession of them. When he
entered the courtyard a dog that belonged to his father's
70
house saw him and recognised him and rejoiced to meet
its master's son. It wagged its tail and yelped with affec
tion; yet it seemed also to complain in dumb sorrow,
� "Why hast thou so long delayed?"
� That servant looked out through the window and saw
his master's son and the dog's delight; and he was greatly
afraid, for he said,
� "Now will my wrongdoing become known."
� Yet he carne out in haste and kicked the dog in the heat
of his anger and drove it away, while to the son he said
roughly,
� "What seekest thou here, stranger? Get thee gone from
my counyard at once, before I let loose my savage dogs
against thee ! "
� But the son answered,
� "I am no stranger here, for this is the inheritance of my
fathers. Dost thou not recognise me? Am not I the son of
thy dead master? And this day I am come to enter into my
inheritance."
� The steward pretended not to know him. He set his
forehead like brass and laughed insolently, saying,
� "See and behold! A stranger is come to make a mock of
me! By my soul, this fellow must be either a madman or
a mocker."
� And he called to his servants to drive him away, and he
incited his dogs against him. The young man's blood
boiled within him and his heart was exceedingly bitter, for
who can see his inheritance taken from him wrongfully
and contain himself? And he cried out in his anger,
� "Base slave! Dost thou intend to be my father's heir? "
� He took up his stick and struck him; and the steward
returned him blow for blow. The young man cried out,
and the dog which had been driven off came at his call,
and it seemed to gather fresh strength in its striving to save
its master's stricken son.
! The sen·anr's fury flamed up like fire: he killed the dog
with a single kick and raged about like a ravening beast.
The young man defended himself with all his might, and
in the courtyard arose outcry, uproar and confusion, and
there was none to separate the two combatants.
! Now in those days the King of Israel was David, the
father of Solomon.
! ·when the son of the dead man saw that his own hand
could not help him, he went up to Jerusalem and cried out
before the King, saying,
! "Help, 0 King! JVly father died while I was on a distant
journey, and now, when I return to my inheritance, be
hold, a servant of the house hath seized all that my father
had. He hath driven me away, saying that he is the son and
the heir, and that I am a stranger. May the King look upon
-
my cause and judge, and save me from an oppressor and
a rogue! "
! The King asked him, saying,
! "Hast thou any to testify to the truth of thy words? "
! And he answered,
! "I have no one."
! "Then what can I do, my son? " said the King. "May
God give thee help! Knowest thou not that only at the
mouth of two witnesses can a matter be established ? "
! The young man saw that there was n o help and h e cried
out with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said,
! "Alas' Is there no judge and no judgment in Israel ! "
! And h e stood at the door of the house, crying out as he
stood.
! The soldiers drew near to thrust him away, and while
they were struggling with him the King's son, Solomon,
came in at the door; and he was then but young and tender.
When he saw the young man crying out in his distress
he pitied him and he inquired concerning him and his
comp laint ; and the matter was told to him.
72
! He said to the soldiers,
! "Let him alone! Do ye not see that he is in bitter dis
tress? "
! And h e took him aside and said to him,
! "Cry out again before the King and, when he rebuketh
thee, say to him, 'Put my cause into the hand of thy son
Solomon, and let him be the judge! "
! The young man did so. The King granted him his peri
cion and put his cause into the hand of Solomon; for the
King said,
! "Come, now, let me see how the child will judge and
what he will do! "
! Solomon sent and summoned him who had been the
dead man's steward, and the two suitors stood before
Solomon.
! Each told his story.
! The one said,
! "I am the son that should inherit, and he is but a servant,
a rogue, that would rob his master! "
! And the other said,
! "Not so, but I am the son and mine is the right of posses
sion, while he is but a stranger who is come to impose him
self upon me, and I know not who he is or whence he
cometh."
! Solomon asked the claimant,
! "Dost thou know where is the grave of thy father? "
! And the young man answered,
! "I do not know."
! Then he asked the other,
! "And thou, dost thou know?"
! And the servant answered,
! "I know. Behold, he lieth in such and such a olace."
! And Solomon said to him,
! "Go then, and bring me the arm of thy dead father."
! And that servant went in haste and brought an arm that
73
had been severed from the body of the old man. And he
laid it before Solomon and said.
! "Here it is! "
! Now when the son saw the severed arm of his father, he
hid his face and wept, because the servant had behaved so
wantonly with his dead father's body. And Solomon saw,
and his heart knew the truth. But he restrained himself and
said,
! "God's is the judgment! Both of you let out blood, each
into a separate vessel."
! And they both let out blood from the flesh of their arm,
each into a separate vessel.
! And Solomon said to the servant,
! "Dip the bone of the arm into thy blood."
! And the servant took it and dipped it, and tne arm came
out clean and white as it was before, for naught of the
servant's blood clave to it.
! And Solomon said to the other,
! "And now, dip it into thy blood."
! And the son compelled himself and did as Solomon com
manded and dipped, and it came to pass that when he drew
out the bone, behold, it was soaked and reddened, for the
arm had absorbed the blood from the vessel and was
soaked ·with it.
! Then Solomon showed it to all that stood the.re and said,
! "See' The blood of the son hath found the flesh of the
father and cleaveth thereto, and they are become one. He
it is who is the son of the dead ! "
! And Solomon commanded that the servant be punished
according to his wickedness, but as for the son of the dead
man he set him over the inheritance of his father.
! And King David saw this son's judgment, and he kissed
him and said,
! "When thou actcst wisely, 0 my son, then my heart,
·
too, rejoiceth."
74
THE WHITE EAGLE
AND GOD APPEARED TO SOLOMON I N A DREAM BY NIGHT
AND SAID, ' "ASK, WHAT I SHALL GIVE THEE. " ' AND SOL
OMON SAID, ' "o LORD MY GOD, THOU HAST MADE THY
servant king instead of David my father, and I am but a

little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy
people Israel are a numerous and a great people, and who
is able to judge this people? And if now I have found
favour in thy sight, give thy servant an understanding
heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good
and evil."
' And God said,
' "Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked
for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself,
nor hast asked the life of thine enemies . . . behold, I have
75
done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise
and an understanding hean; so that there hath been none
like before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto
thee. And I will make thy name greater than all the kings
of the earth.
! "Moreover thy kingdom shall extend over the wild
beasts and the cattle and the birds, and thou shalt under
stand their language and their words and know whatso
ever they shall speak. And over the demons and over the
spirits shalt thou have dominion, and even the quiver of
thine eyelid shall they fear. And they shall minister to thee
and shall obey thee and shall perform all thy service.
! "And thine ears shall ever be open and thou shalt under
stand the speech of the trees, the whispering of the grass,
and the rustling of the ears of corn in the field; and thou
shalt perceive the heart of everv bud and blossom, and
shalt know their nature to the uttermost. And in wisdom
and understanding thou shalt excel evcrv man upon the
face of the eanh."
! And Solomon awoke in the morning, and, behold, it was
a dream.
* * *
! And Solomon rose up and opened the window of his

palace that looked out upon a shady garden. And he stood
looking upon the garden until he could look no more, for
his spirit was still restless by reason of his dream in the
night.
! Now all the garden was filled with the chirpings of the
morning birds, the noise of whirring wings, the flutterings
of b�tterflies and the buzzing of blue and golden flies. A
mynad mouths gave tongue from among trees and bushes,
and a hail of noises mingling with the sun's golden beams
beat upon the ground. From the hidden depths of every
76
bush and from the bosom of every tree peacocks and par
rots, hoopoes and hawks acclaimed in chorus the might of
the sun; and swifts and swallows darted to and fro like
arrows through the morning breeze, all chirping and twit
tering. A covering of dewdrops lay over the green grass
carpets, and the garden beds were filled with blossoms and
piled up with flowers. Eye never saw their like for coiour
or fragrance or splendour. The ear could not weary from
hearing nor the eye from seeing.
! While Solomon still gazed on this pleasing sight, behold,
a little bird, blue winged and white breasted, came flutter
ing out of a bush, and , perching itself on a bush close by,
harangued the other birds, and chirruped, saying,
! "Listen all, to what I say! Have ye not heard, 0 my
sisters, or do ye not know? A King is given to us, a new
ruler to rule over us! This night the edict went forth on
high, saying, 'King Solomon, son of David, he it is that
shall reign over the whole earth, and over the birds of
heaven also shall he rule: not a bird shall flutter its wing
or open its mouth save by his will! ' And now, lo and be
hold, here are we behaving as disorderlv and lightminded
ly as though there were n'o law nor any kind �f restraint,
hopping and capering, shrieking and brawling. And there
standeth the King, gazing at us from his palace window!
Will he ever acquit us! Will he ever forgive us? Accept
my counsel: Up, let us fly hence before his wrath over
whelm us."
! Then another bird, small as the first, but with wings
flecked with silver and with a necklace of gold about her
neck, made answer and said,
! "Utter twaddle thou twitterest' Who ever saw or who
ever heard such a thing as a king sitting lower than his sub
jects! Or how can mere man bear n1le over winged crea
tures when they are in the skies and he is on the earth
beneath? As I live, naught but lies is that edict, and the
77
rumour mere rubbish. The eagle alone is our king. He
ever reigned and ever will reign! Him alone hath God set
high aboYc all winged creatures: therefore he Rieth high
est and dwclleth highest of all."
� Now King Solomon was listening to the talk of the birds
and he understood their every chirp, and he knew of a
truth that his dream in the night had not spoken falsely.
Of a sudden he felt his power. Then, by his royal com
mand, he summoned to him every winged creature. In a
moment they all assembled in the King's garden, hasting
and hustling, and they stood before him in fear and terror,
and tremblingly a\\·aited his words.
� And King Solomon stood by his window and through
lo\\·ered eyelids his eyes passed in scrutiny over all the
companies and all the ranks of feathered creatures. Then
he opened his mouth and said,
� "Peace be to you, 0 feathered creatures! Peace and
mercy! Know, all of you, that the most high God hath
appointed me to be over all the kings of the eanh, and
over you also, 0 feathered creatures, hath he given me
rule. Hcncefonvard ye are my slaves and servants. At my
command shall ye go fonh and at my command shall ye
come in. Save by my will none of you shall lift up a wing.
But fear not nor be afraid, for with me is peace and safety
for all who take refuge in my shadow; nor shall a hair of
your feathers fall to the ground. Hover over your nests,
hop and sing as ye please throughout all my garden, and
gladden the King's hcan with your songs. Let each faith
fully pursue his purpose and the law of his hean and so
fulfil God's will. Bur, bv God, and bv all the creatures and
the wonders of His h �nds, that small bird spake wisely
and "·ith understanding that answered and said, How can
it be that a king dwell below and his servants sit higher
than he!-Of a truth she answered wisely: such a thing
cannot be.
! "Therefore this will I do:
! "Thou, 0 small bird, flecked with silver and with a
necklace of gold about thy neck, since thou art so wise,
draw near to me quickly, and round thy neck I will bind
a small letter and thou shalt bear it to the wilderness of
Palmyra, to the tops of the high rocks where dwell the
great eagles, the eagles of renown. Thou shalt alight on
the summit of the highest peak. There shalt thou find the
nest of the chief and greatest of eagles, an eagle that is
wholly white, whose size is the size of the white horse
whereon I always ride, an eagle whose years are a thousand
and five hundred years, and whose strength and loftiness
of flight have increased with the increase of its days. Unto
this white eagle shalt thou come and before it shalt thou
stand, and so soon as it shall see the letter about thy neck
it will come down trembling from its high crags \Vithout
delay to fly unto me swiftly; and it will also take thee be
tween its pinions, and thou shalt return to me with this
eagle. So arise, 0 bird, and make haste! "
! When the command proceeded from the King's mouth,
the little bird, flecked with silver and adorned with a
golden necklace, went up through the ·window into the
chamber and stood trembling on the golden footstool
which was before the King. And the King bound a small
letter about its neck wherein ·was written,
! "I, Solomon, son of David, King of Israel, bid thee, 0
aged king, saying, Hasten forthwith and come unto me ' "
! And the bird spread its wings, flew out through the win
dow and like an arrow daned towards the wilderness of
Palmyra.
* * *
! And it came to pass after five days (for so long did the
small bird take in the journey, going and returning) that
79
King Solomon was sitting in the courtyard of his palace
where the throne of ivory had been made ready for him,
and all the captains of his hosts stood by him on the right
hand and on the left.
� Suddenly there came a great blast of wind, then a second
and a third and a fourth, blast after blast, blast after blast,
each mightier and stronger than that which went before,
beating heavily down upon the heads of the King and his
captains. And they lifted up their eyes and looked, and,
behold, a white eagle, a strong and exceedingly mighty
eagle, cleaving through the air and coming down from the
clouds, flapping majestic wings, and with its head pointing
downwards to the place ·where sat the King.
� And the Captains saw, and their hearts died within them,
and they wavered and would have fled in fear had not the
King emboldened them so that they took courage and
stood firm.
� 1\Ieanwhile the white eagle, with a last blast of wind,
drew nigh and alighted on the ground and stood before
Solomon, bowing and trembling, while between its wings
stood the little bird. The King took off the letter from the
bird's neck and sent it away. But the white eagle he kept
before him.
� That same day, taking food for the journey in a travel
ler's satchel, the King mounted the white eagle and flew
to the wilderness of Palmyra; and lo, next day, the King
was seen returning from the journey, seated on the flying
eagle and descending towards his palace.
� Then Solomon commanded the eagle to come before
him once in every month, and the King rode upon it, fly
ing wheresoe\'er he would. And the eagle did as the King
commanded.
� So all the winged creatures knew of a truth that Solomon
reigned over the.11, since he had subdued the mightiest of
the most mighty eagles, the white eagle itself.
So
THE WHITE LION
NOW AFTER THE WHITE EAGLE HAD BEEN SUBDUED BY
SOLOMON, IT CAJ\IE TO PASS THAT THE KING AND CERTAIN
OF HIS CAPTAI�S WEXT FORTH TO RIDE THROUGH THE
country, the King on his white horse, as was his custom,

and, at his right hand, Denaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the
captain of his host, and, following them, other captains of
the host. And by chance they came to a certain marshy
pasture where asses were grazing. \Vhile the King and his
company were passing by, one of the asses unthinkingly
emptied its bowels. Another ass ncar by beheld this and
was indignant, and, stamping with the hoof of anger, it
brayed a bray of fury and fiery wrath with a sound as of
a trumpet, and it thundered, saying,
! "Hee-haw, thou basest of asses' Hee-haw, thou vile and
corrupt one! \Vast thou not afraid to commit this abom
ination in the sight of the King and his captains' Dost thou
not yet know, thou filthy one, that the edict is gone fonh
to make Solomon, son of David, King over all the earth
and to give him dominion also over the cattle of the field
Z ;:
and the wild beasts of the forest? And now, when the
King seeth how disgustingly thou hast conducted thyself
in his presence, will he not destroy every ass because of
thee ? Hee-haw, thou troubler of the race of asses ! Hee
haw, thou silliest of beasts! How hast thou made us to
stink! Whither can we take our shame?"
� Nevenheless that ass, thus reviled, saw not fit to bury
its nose in the ground, but, breaking off its grazing and
lifting up its head, it licked its lips first to the one side and
then to the other, and suddenly brayed a great and bitter
bray, a crushing bray, a heavy and contemptuous bray,
and, answering reviling with reviling, it said,
� "Bunged be the muzzles of liars and fools! Thou art the
silly one, and not I. An idiot will swallow anything! Who
ever heard or who ever saw such a thing as a foreigner
ruling a people to which he doth not belong, or a king
who neither understandeth what his subjects say nor
knoweth what are their needs! Never can such a thing be!
Yet more: can the weak rule over him that is mightier
than he? And who is there that doth not know that man
is feebler than cattle and wild beasts? Come, let it be put
to the proof! Let this King Solomon of whom thou speak
est go and confront our king, the lion! At but the sight of
it he will be overwhelmed, and at its roar he will flee to the
uttermost parts of Mount Ararat! "
� The King laughed when h e heard the argument and the
braying of the asses, and he commanded them to be
brought before him. And he said to them,
� "I have heard your dispute and your argument. And
now, know ye, and let all asses and all cattle and wild beasts
know likewise, that God in very truth hath exalted me
higher than all the kings of the earth, and he hath also
given me dominion over all cattle and all wild beasts. Yet
the words of the ass whose heart refuseth to believe this
thing, are not altogether empty of truth. That king who
82
knoweth not the soul of his servants nor understandeth
their need and their lack - his rule cannot prosper. And
thus have I taught in the Book of Proverbs:
The just man knoweth the soul of his beast.
In one thing alone hath this ass erred, in that he thinketh

that the lion's lofty mien will affright me and that I will
tremble at its roar.
! "Yet a little while and ye shall know every one of you
that this is not so. The truth is to the contrary: even the
fiercest of majestic beasts trembleth at my name, and the
mightiest among beasts of prey obeyeth me like a sucking
lamb. If I but whistle to the lion he will come to me from
his den, trembling like a bird, and sink down silently be
fore me. And I will mount him as I mount this white horse.
And as for thee, thou ass, because thou hast disbelieved in
my kingship, by my command thou shalt surely go to the
wilderness of Palmyra, to the dens of the mightiest lions,
and the fiercest and most terrible of lions from the moun
tain lairs shalt thou bring to me, even the king of the kings
of lions, the white lion. Lo, I have sent thee! Arise, get
thee gone immediately. It shall be thy punishment, and an
instruction in prudence to every ass like thee."
! When the ass heard what had been decreed against him,
trembling assailed his bones and set him all a-shivering
from the ends of his ears to the tip of his tail; and he flut
tered like a driven leaf and brayed a bray of terror and
woe, the bray of an ass that is brought to the slaughter.
! But the King consoled him and said,
! "Go thy way boldly and be not afraid, since thou goest
at the King's command. And here is thy pledge of safety:
a letter directed to the lion, which I bind about thy neck.
It shall be a shield and defence against any evil chance:
no hand shall touch thee and no tooth or claw assail thee.
83
Thou shalt bring this letter to the white lion, and, so soon
as he shall see it, he will straightway obey and will come
and stand before me like a servant before his master.

� "Go and return in peace! "
� S o the ass turned himself about and went out, t o journey
to the wilderness of Palmyra at the King's command.
About his neck was the letter, and in his bones the fear of
death.
� One day, after the ass had been gone for about a space
of one month, it came to pass that Solomon was seated
upon his throne, the throne of ivory, in the courtyard of
his palace, with the captains of his am1y standing by him
according to their custom. Suddenly there came a great
roaring, the roaring of a lion; and the palace and all the
places round about it were mightily shaken. Before any
man knew what or whence, lo, a second roar, as it had
been seven thunderings of God together, and many of the
captains fell to the ground. Before the company had re
covered from their terror, not far away appeared a great
and awful lion, rushing along like a whirlwind. This lion
was all of it white as snow. Its mane was a forest, its tail
a cedar tree, its eyes torches. Every moment it drew nearer
and nearer. Then it roared yet a third time, as though it
would proclaim its coming into the presence of the King;
and even the mightiest and the most stout of heart among
the captains of the host fell to the ground: scarce any
breath remained in them.
� When the lion drew near, and but a few steps lay be
tween it and the throne, King Solomon, from his high
throne, turned his eyes, the eyes of a leader and command
er, towards the lion; and he broke into fragments the
sceptre of gold that was in his hand. Straightway the
stormy spirit of the lion was stilled. Moreover, little by
84-
little, it moved backward as though in dread. Then of a
sudden it bowed down on its knees and fell to the ground
before the King.
' The courage of the captains revived a little. And as they
lifted themselves out of the dust, one after the other, they
moved aside fearfully and trembling, some to one side and
some to the other, to leave the way open for the lion. Then
the lion crawled between them on its belly, crawling
nearer to the King.
' Behind the lion there followed, dragging itself along and
with its teeth chattering, that ass which had carried the
letter. The King loosed the letter from about the ass's neck
and let it go free to graze in the marsh according to its
soul's desire.
' To them that stood by him he said,
The terror of a king is as the roaring

of a lion;
He that provoketh him to anger sinneth
against his own life.
' The King commanded that food be given to the lion,

and its stonny spirit was wholly quelled. Then the King,
taking a little food in a traveller's satchel, and having put
a bridle in the lion's mouth, mounted the lion and rode
upon it, driving it like the storm, to the wilderness of
Palmyra.
' And on the third day the King carne back to his palace,
still riding upon the lion. And Solomon commanded the
lion to come before him once in every month. And the
lion did so. Once every month at the appointed time the
lion came before the King and he rode upon it whitherso
ever his spirit moved him to ride. And the King appointed
a set time for the white eagle and for the white lion, half
a month for each; and they came in turn and stood before
8,5
the King each on its own day and at its own appointed
time. And they were for the King to ride upon, and they
bore him withersoever he commanded.
� And when Solomon had built for himself a wonderful
city in the wilderness of Palmyra, he visited it twice every
month: once he would mount the eagle and fly thither in
a single day, and once he would make the lion his chariot
and reach the city at the end of three days. Thus used
Solomon to do continually.
86
THE BEE
ONE DAY KING SOLO;\ION LAY DOWN BENEATH A FIG TREE
IN HIS GARDEN TO SLEEP I-llS AFTERNOON SLEEP, AND TWO
BODY-SERVANTS STOOD SILENTLY BY I-llS PILLOW, WAVING
their fans to ward off the flies. The King's eyelids had
scarcely closed when a small roving bee passed by. It gave
no heed to the fans but alighted and sat on the King's nose
and stung it. Solomon awoke and leapt up. He knew what
had been done to him. His anger was kindled, for the pain
in his nose was as sharp as the point of a knife; moreover
his nose swelled and turned as red as a pomegranate. Sol
omon hunted for that rebellious daughter to punish her
as her insolence deserved, and he sot�ght and he groped,
but she was nowhere to be found, for the wanton creature
had fled for her life and hidden herself.
87
� Every minute the King's nose grew more swollen and
bloated. It soon grew as big as a cucumber. The King's
heart raged within him and his countenance turned to
vinegar.
� Then in his fury he commanded that every bee should
at once be brought before him, together with every
hornet, and every wasp, and every fly, and every gnat,
and every midge, even to the very tiniest creature in his
garden and the regions round about both near and far.
� Then came trembling out of the nests and hives every
bee and every hornet and every gnat and every buzzing
creature after its kind; and they came in clouds from far
and near, alighting before the King by swarms and swarms
and by companies and companies, like the stars of heaven
for multitude, each queen bee with her swarm and each
company with its leader. All were in a panic, all in con
fusion, all of them buzzing, and all of them amazed and
rushing about to find out what was the matter:
� "What is this-s-s-s? And why is this-s-s-s? "
� And the King, goaded by the heat of his fury and his
inflamed nose, stamped his feet and cried out,
� "Silence ! "
� An awed silence fell upon all: none stirred a wing or
buzzed. Then they perceived, every one of them, and knew
that of a truth the King's anger was f!"reat and terrible, ex
ceedingly great and terrible.
� The King's nose had gone on growing and swelling until
it was become like a waterskin, filled to its very spout with
sharp points of glass and thin, white-hot needles, striving
to pierce their way out. In his pain and burning anger the
King cried out,
' "What son of Belial or what perverse and rebellious
daughter arr.ong you hath thought fit to do to the King
such a thing as this?"
! And as he said "this" he touched his waterskin of a nose
with his thumb, as if he would say,
! "See what indignity ye have done to the King ! "
! For a moment the bees held their peace; they were great
ly alarmed in their fear of the King, and by his rebuke. But
they soon recovered courage and a soft murmur spread
from company to company, a murmur of surprise and
perplexity:
! "Ah! ah! Who ever could it be that would do this abomi
nable thing? Who did this-s-s-s? Who did this-s-s-s� "
! \Vhile they were quietly buzzing, one little bee flew up
out of the throng. It flew in a straight line until it reached
the King. Then it stopped and said,
! "Here am I, my lord the King: I am the culprit!"
! "Thou?" roared Solomon like a lion, while his nose
flamed like a torch; "and on the nose of the King' Didst
thou neither reverence my nose nor dread my anger? "
! "Oh, my lord the King, let there be no anger! Be it far
from the daughter of thy handmaid ever to alight pre
sumptuously on the nose of the Lord's Anointed, except
it had been in foolishness or error! I am but a young and
tender bee: my days are few in number; and foolish, most
foolish, am I. Not yet have I learned how to tell the differ
ence between a flower and a nose, or between one nose
and another-particularly the nose of my lord the King,
that nose with its lily-like fragrance and its apple-like
grace. Should it be accounted a crime in a bee, a little
ignorant bee, if, straying after her eyes' desire, she sud
denly longed after so beauteous and lovely a nose, and fell
headlong upon it to suck out a sip of honey?"
! Here and there in the King's sour visage two or three
honey-like gleams appeared, and in one of the faint creases
at the corners of his mouth it almost seemed, for half a
moment, as though the vaguest shadow of a smile would
break through. It could only mean that the King approved
8g
the shrewd little bee's defence. But he straightway remem
bered his fierce anger, and, with thundery visage, he said,
� "And what else, 0 thou wanton one? I perceive thy lip's
cunning! Thou gottest that tongue from none other than
thy grandmother, Deborah* the Prophetess, wife of Lap
idoth-may she rest in glory ' "
� And the bee took t o herself still more courage, and said,
� "And even though I have sinned, is it not the glory of
kings to forgive transgression? So let the sin of thy hand
maid's poor daughter be this day as small and petty in the
King's sight as the smallness of her understanding and the
shonness of her days; and, this once, be thou slow to anger
against her. Who knoweth : the day may yet come when
my lord the King will find pleasure anl.l profit even in the
like of me, the least in the land. Then will I make recom
pense to my lord the King."
� These words so delighted the King's heart that his ill
temper all but turned away from him, and with a laugh
he answered and said,
� "Oh, thou brazen-faced one! Should the King find
pleasure and profit in such as thou! Canst thou ever requite
bim? Off with thee, quickly, or if not . . ! ".
� The word was yet i n the King's mouth and the little bee
spread her wings and was gone.
� But the King, beginning to laugh, went on laughing un
til no strength remained in him, and by reason of his laugh
ter he shook like a palm-branch in the hand of the shaker;
and holding his sides he called out,
� "Oh! Stay me with raisins, comfort me with apples! Did
ye hear? That little object would make recompense to the
King !"
. . .
� And while the King was still light-heaned from laugh

ter he forgave all the bees forthe brave little bee's sake, and
he dismissed them all in peace.
• Deborah in Hebrew means "a bee."
! And by the advice of the physicians the King anointed
his nose with ointment and it healed, so that his nose be
came as it was aforetime. And as the days went by the King
no more remembered the little bee but forgot her.
* * *
! And it came to pass after many days that the Queen of

Sheba came from a far country with a very great train,
and bearing many presents, to behold Solomon in his
palace and to prove him with hard questions (as it is writ
ten in the Scroll of the Kings) . And after she had tried
him seven and seventy times with all her knowledge and
her riddles and her many cunning wiles yet could not pre
vail over him, she tested him at the last also in this wise.
Into the hands of the youths and maidens which she had
brought with her from her own country, she put bunches
of flowers, all of them the work of men's hands, save only
one, which was the work of nature, and she arranged them
in rows before the King-, and she said,
! "Before thee, 0 Ki �g Solomon, in the hands of the
youths and maidens, are bunches of flowers; some of them
arc living- flowers and some of them flowers made by men's
hands. Do thou, 0 King, distinguish between them by
their appearance."
! Now the man-made flowers were marvellously perfec1
and complete, of cunning workmanship: in no wise did
they seem different from flowers of the field and of the
garden.
!For a long space of time Solomon looked, and regarded
them. But he could not tell how to distinguish between
them. And it distressed him greatly and he felt himself
in very evil plight.
! Then, while he was hesitating, his ear, and his ear alone,
caught the sound of a faint humming outside the window.
91
The King turned his eyes thither, and, suddenly, his face
lit up. He whispered to the man on his right hand,
� "Be quick ! Open the window ! "
� The window was opened, and into the room there sped
a swift bee which none saw save the King alone. The bee.
straightway alighted on one of the bunches of flowers.
� A little smile appeared on the King's lips, and, to the
amazement of the Queen of Sheba and all that stood there,
he pointed to that bunch on which the bee had alighted;
and he called out gaily,
� "That is the bunch of live flowers! "
� Thus did the bee requite the King.
� That night Solomon added yet one more proverb to the

proverbs of his wisdom which he wrote on a scroll:
Whoso despiseth a thing shall suffer thereby.

THE BRAGGART DOVE
ONE DAY KING SOLOJ\ION WAS SITTING IN HIS PALACE RE
SIDE A WINDOW A N D LOOKING INTO TilE GARDE". A1l0\'E
THE WINDOW WAS A SMALL DOVECOT NEAR TilE ROOF, A
safe nesting-place for the dove and its mate. And the King
heard the voice of the dove as it murmured to its mate:
� "Oh, my dove, hast thou observe d this palace of the
King' In thy sigh t is it not great and lofty, a building that
will endure for ever? Is that not so' But in my sight it is
no more than the tip of an ear of corn: I need but smite it
with the point of my beak and at once it will become a
heap of ruins. One peck . . . and it would be as though it
had never been."
93
� The King put his heaa out of the window and seeing
who it was that boasted after this fashion he summoned
the dove and said angrily,
� "Oh, thou of stunted wing and swaggering tongue! So
thou wouldest destroy my palace! An thou not ashamed
to be so vainly boastful ! "
� So terrified was the dove at the King's rebuke that it

nearly fainted. But it soon grew bold again and said,
� "Oh, my lord the King! Thy wisdom will suppon me.
Thou hast understanding, and with thee is mercy. Before
whom did I boast? It was only before my wife! And is it
sin in a husband if he vaunt himself a little before his wife?"
� The King laughed at the dove's answer and let it go in
peace. But he straitly charged it not to repeat such foolish
ness but to be heedful in what it said.
� Hardly had the dove returned to its dovecot than Sol
omon heard a second time,
"Oh, my perfect one, dost thou know why it was that
King Solomon summoned me? Stretch hither thine ear
and I will tell thee in a whisper. Most pitifully did he be
seech me to spare his palace and not to destroy it, since it
was the King's palace and much labour had the builders
bestowed upon it. And as for me, when I listened to the
voice of his supplication, my hean softened and I granted
him his petition. Lo, thus and thus did the King ask of me,
and thus and thus did I make answer to him. What thinkest
thou of it, mv fair one ? "
·
� When the King heard the words o f the dove h e was no
more angry but neither did he laugh, for he said sorrow
fully,
� "Easier is it to overcome seven mighty creatures than to
overcome one little one!"
94
WHOSE WAS THE BLAME ?
AN OTTER CAME ONE DAY AND C01\IPLAINED BEFORE KING
SOLOMON, SAYING,
"
!
ALAS, lilY LORD AND 1\IY KING ! WAS
IT NOT THOU THAT DIDST SPREAD GOOD TIDINGS OF PEACE
and truth to all dwellers upon the earth in thy time' Didst
thou not likewise ordain oeace between one wild creature
and another?"
! "And who hath broken this peace � " asked Solomon.
! "I went down into the water," answered the otter, "to
hunt for food, and my whelps I had entrusted into the hand
of the weasel. But it rose up against them and destroyed
them. And now the blood of my innocent children crieth
out to me, Death to the slayer !"
! And the King commanded that the weasel be brought
before him, and he inquired of it,
! "Was it thou that slew the otter's children? "
' And the weasel said,
! "It was I, my lord the King, but, as the King liveth, it
was not with intent or evil purpose. I heard the wood
pecker as he thundered with his beak, giving forth the
95
sound of th:: drum, procbi..'11ing the summons tll war. And
so it was that, as I sped to the battle, I trampled on the
children, but it was not with evil purpose."
! And the King called the woodpecker and asked,
! "Didst thou sound an alarm to summon people to the
fight with a thundering of the drum?"
! And the woodpecker answered,
! "I did so, my lord the King. But I did so because I saw
the scorpion whetting its dagger."
! And the King called the scorpion and asked,
! "Why wast thou whetting thy dagger?"
! And the scorpion answered,
! "Because I saw the tortoise furbishing its armour."
! And when the tortoise was inquired of, it said in its
defence,
! "Because I saw the crab sharpening its sword."
! And the crab answered,
! "Because I saw the lobster swinging its javelin."
! And the King commanded the lobster to be brought,
and he reproved it, saying,
! "Why didst thou swing thy javelin ? "
! And the lobster answered and said,
! "Because I saw the otter going down into the water to
devour my children."
! Then the King looked towards the otter, and said,
! "The weasel is not guilty. The blood of thy children is
on thine own head. He that soweth death shall reap it."
HOW THE HOOPOE GOT ITS CREST
'
FAR AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS, A THIRTY-DAYS JOUR
NEY, KING SOLOI\lON BUILT HII\1 A CITY FOR PLEASURE
AND DELIGHT. IT WAS ALL 1\IADE O F WONDERFUL G.\RDENS
hanging between eanh and sky. That w2s the city of Pal
myra. Thither used the King to go from time to time to
escape from the tunnoil of his palace. Now Solomon had
a white eagle, a great and mighty eagle, ,,·ith long and
wide-spreading wings. The King used to mount upon it
and it flew with him in the sky withcrsoevcr he would. And
whenever his heart moved him to fly to Palmyra, he
mounted the eagle and sped through the sky over the
97
wilderness and carne safely by himself to the city of de
light. There he continued to his hean's desire and returned
without any man knowing of his going or of his corning.
Thus used he to do continually.
! One day King Solomon rode on the eagle as his custom
was, and his face was set towards Palmyra. When he was
but half way on his journey, the sun smote his head, so that
he grew faint and weary and had almost fallen to the eanh.
And in his evil plight he looked here and there to see
whence help might come, and lo, a flight of hoopoes, a
great and numerous company, flying to and fro in the
firmament with their king leading them.
! The king of the hoopoes saw the face of Solomon and
lo, he was in evil plight. Straightway the king of the
hoopoes hastened unto him with his whole company and
they all rose up and hovered above Solomon's head, wing
to wing, the wing of every hoopoe touching its neigh
bour's wing, so that they were like a canopy or a cloud
over the King's head to shelter him from harm. So King
Solomon's spirit returned and he revived.
! He saw the good deed which the hoopoes had done for
him, and he spake unto them saying,
! "This day have ye shown loving kindness unto your
lord. Therefore, as I live, I will surely not send you empty
away. Corne, then, and ask of me whatsoever is in your
heart, and I will grant your request."
! And the King appointed them a time. For a whole day
the hoopoes took counsel together. Then the king of the
hoopoes carne to bring before Solomon the wish of his
subjects.
! And Solomon said unto the hoopoe,
! "Hast thou first thought diligently concerning thy
request ? "
! And the hoopoe answered,
! "I and my people have thought diligently and this is our
gB
request: May we all be given golden crests, crowns upon
our heads' "
' And the King said,
' "Your request shall be granted. Golden crests shall ye
have, crowns upon your heads. Yet know thou and under
stand that thou hast asked a foolish thing. But when evil
shall come upon thee and thou repentest of thy foolish
ness and comest again before me, I will not withhold deliv
erance."
' So the king of the hoopoes left Solomon's presence with
a golden crest on his head. So, too, the rest of the hoopoes
were all given golden crests. And the hoopoes' heans
were exalted by their golden adornment, and they put on
pride and high looks.
' Every day they went to the sea shore or to the banks of
streams or to any pool of water, for the water served as a
mirror wherein they gazed on their beautiful image. And
they grew proud and haughty and preened themselves.
' The queen of the hoopoes was the most vain of them
all. She would go up and sit on the bough of a tree and look
no more upon her relations or recognise her friends from
among other winged creatures, for she said,
' "Who are these birds that I should associate myse!f with
them!-1, who have a crown of gold upon my head! "
' Now a cenain huntsman i n those pans noticed the ways
of the hoopoes. He set a trap for them, and in the trap he
put a piece of mirror. A hoopoe came down to see her
reflection in the mirror, and, as usual, take pride in herself;
but as she turned herself about, this way and that, she was
gripped by the trap and caught.
' When the huntsman saw the crown glittering on the
bird's head, he straightway wrung her neck, tore off the
crown, and took it to a brass-smelter to find out from him
what it was made of. But the cunning smelter said,
' "It is only a crown of brass."
99
� He gave him sixty fanhings for it and said,
� "If thou find more like it bring them to me; but tell
nobody."
� So the huntsman went out and caught many hoopoes
and sold their crowns to the brass-smelter.
� By chance one day a goldsmith met the huntsman and
saw the crowns in his hand, and he told him that they were
pure gold. Moreover he offered a great price for them. For
every four crowns he gave him a talent of gold.
� So soon as this became known among the people the
whole country and all the regions round about were filled
with the twanging of bows and the rushing of arrows; all
hands busily mixed birdlime; and the price of traps and
snares increased greatly for many were they that urgently
demanded them. Every man forsook his own business, and
every day they would go out with bow and arrows and
roam about the country. No sooner did a hoopoe appear
than an arrow struck it or it was caught in a snare. There
was no refuge or hiding place for the hoopoe.
� It was a time of trouble for the hoopoes. Never had
winged creatures suffered the like. Day by day they grew
fewer and fewer. Yet a little while and they would all dis
appear from the skies. Heavy was the mourning in the
camp of the hoopoes.
� In their distress the king of the hoopoes remembered the
words which Solomon had spoken in the day when he
gave him the golden crest. So he arose and flew swiftly by
way of the wilderness and the desen where was no danger
from huntsmen. And he came and stood before the King
and told him of all the great evil which was come upon
him and his people because of the golden crest. And he
wept and besought Solomon to take away from them this
evil.
� Solomon heard the plaint of the hoopoe and took pity
on him and said,
100
� "Of a truth you were foolish in asking for yourselves a
golden crest. Did I not warn you from the beginning ?
Your own pride and your own wantonness - it is they
which have brought trouble upon you. But, being mindful
of the loving kindness which ye showed unto me, I will yet
again extend my mercy toward you and instead of the
crown of gold I will give you a crown of feathers: no
longer shall your crowns be your snare and stumbling
block."
� So the king of the hoopoes left Solomon's presence with
a crest of feathers on his head. From that day forth the
huntsmen no more pursued the hoopoes, and the hoopocs
enjoyed peace in their nests and they increased in the land
and roamed everywhere in safety, and none made them
afraid.
10[
THE FLYING CLOAK
a. Tbe Wind's Reproof
KING SOLO.'IION RULED OVER THE WHOLE EARTH - OVER
THE DRY LAND AND OVER THE SEA AND OVER THE WINGS
O F THE WIND. AND GOD GAVE TO SOLO:\ION A MAGIC CLOAK.
On this he could rise up on the wings of the wind and

roam to and fro like a bird whithersoever he would. And
the cloak was very large. It was fony miles long and fony
miles wide. It was made of green silk interwoven with
gold, and pictures of everything in the world were em
broidered upon it-the plants of the field and the beasts of
the eanh, the fowls of the air and the fishes of the sea. Four
captains were appointed to keep watch over the cloak at
its four corners: Asaph son of Berechiah was captain over
the sons of men, Remirat was captain over the demons,
the lion was captain over the beasts of the field, and the
eagle was captain over all winged creatures.
� And Solomon went up into the cloak and sat upon his
throne, and all his captains and his servants and his mighty
men went up with him, a very great multitude, and they
IOZ
stood in their places before the King, according to their
custom.
! Then would Solomon command the wind, saying,
Corne, 0 wind, and bear us away!
! And the cloak, together with all its burden was lifted up
by the wind, and it floated in the firmament whithersoever
the King desired. It flew over countries and seas, soaring
over forests and deserts, and the King could rum it in
whatsoever direction he pleased. His morning meal he
could eat in Damascus, at one end of the earth, and his
evening meal in Media, at the other end of the earth.
! One day it happened that the King with all his captains
and his servants was journeying on the cloak which. like
an eagle, was lifted up into the high places of the firma
ment. And the sun shone upon it in all its splendour and its
glory. And Solomon bent down to see, and Ia, the earth
beneath was growing smaller and smaller, until it seemed
to him no bigger than a pumpkin.
! And his pride grew very great, and he said,
! "Can there be in all the world a king as wise and clever
as I .I "
! Scarce had the word left his mouth when the wind
veered, and many of the King's servants were shaken off
the cloak. And the King was very wroth, and he called out
in his anger,
Return, 0 wind !
! But the wind answered,

! "Nay! Do thou, rather, return unto thy God, and let
not thy heart grow so proud ! "
! And Solomon was put to shame by the words of the
wind, and he bowed his head and was dumb.
103
b. Tbe Queeu of tbe Frogs
' A whole day more did the cloak j ourney onwards and
it passed over a brook. Beside the brook were frogs leaping
to and fro. And Solomon listened and lo, one frog was
crying out to the others in terror,
' "Hasten, my sisters' Hide yourselves among the reeds
and rushes in the brook, lest Solomon's hosts come down
upon you and destroy great multitudes of you."
' And the King's anger was kindled and he called to the
wind,
Descend, 0 wind !
' The wind brought the cloak down to the ground, and
at Solomon's command the frogs came out of their hiding
places in the reeds and swamps and stood before him. And
the King said to them in anger,
' "Who and what manner of frog was it that dared to
speak so of my hosts?"
' And a frog came forth and answered,
' "It was I ! "
� And the King was very wroth a t the frog's impudence
and he would have punished it. With difficulty he re
strained himself, and he asked,
' "Why didst thou speak thus of the warriors of my
army? "
' "Because," answered the frog, "I feared lest thy hosts
would come and make an end of our singing to God, and
so provoke God's anger against us."
' The King scoffed and said,
' "Are frogs, forsooth, to be numbered among them that
sing to God ? "
' But the frog, lifting up its head, answered,
104
� "Our ponion, my lord the King, is greater than thine !
How many are thy songs?-A thousand and five! * But
as for us, song never ceaseth from our mouth by day or by
night ! "
� Then the King, lowering his voice, asked gently,
� "And why is it that thou, rather than any of thy sisters,
speak est in this fashion?"
� "Because I am the queen of the frogs, my lord the
King! "
� "And what is thy name?"
� "My name is Mahshma! "
� "One ot�er thing w�uld I ask of thee, 0 Mahshma: wilt
thou not g1ve me . . .
� But straightway the frog mterrupted him, saying,
� "It is not fitting that the suppliant should sit on a throne
while that other to whom supplication is made lieth on
the ground! Lift me up and put me on the palm of thy
hand; then will I answer all that thou shalt ask."
� The King laughed, and did as the frog desired, lifting
her up and putting her on the palm of his hand, opposite
his face.
� Then he asked and said,
"Tell me, I pray, 0 Mahshma, queen of the frogs, is
there in all the earth a greater one than I ? "
� "Assuredly there is! "
� "Then who is it ? "
� "It i s I ! "
� "In what an thou greater than I ? "
� "Were I not greater than thou," the frog answered,
"God had not now sent thee hither to raise me up in thy
hands."
� And King ;,olomon's anger was kindled, and he cast her
to the ground and said,
� "Oh, thou offspring of mud, and spawn of the swamp!
• , Kings H'·
1 05
Knowest thou not yet who I am? Am not I Solomon, son
of David, King in Jerusalem! "
� "Not so! " answered the frog, "But thou a rt dust, and
unto dust shalt thou return. Man, who is but a worm,
wherein can he pride himself ! "
� And Solomon was put to shame by the words of the
frog, and he fell upon his face to the ground.
c. The Mysterious Palace
� Then the cloak was lifted high above the earth, bearing
away King Solomon and his men, while the frog below
croaked after him,
� "Go in peace! But remember thy Creator and be not
high minded ! "
� The cloak sped onwards and passed over lands and seas
and for ten days and ten nights it soared between earth
and sky. One day King Solomon looked down upon the
earth and, behold, a high palace loomed up from the earth.
Now the palace was very magnificent: it was built all of
gold and its pillars and its walls and its roof were all of pure
gold.
� Solomon gazed on the glory of the palace and longed to
look within it. And he said to the wind,
Descend, 0 wind !
� And the cloak came down to the ground. Then King

Solomon turned aside to see the palace; and the captain,
Asaph, son of Berechiah, went with him. They looked at
the place from round about, and lo, it was desolate, over
grown with grass and bushes and tall weeds, without any
road or pathway. Yet the scent of the grass was in their
nostrils like the sweet-smelling savour of the Garden of
106
Eden, exceedingly pleasant. They continued to walk
round about the palace seeking some door or entrance,
but none could anywhere be found. And they were
amazed and mystified.
! While they were gazing at the palace, the captain of the
demons went up to the roof. There he found a large and
very old eagle, crouching over its nestlings. He came back
to declare the matter to the King. And the King com
manded the chief captain that was over the birds to bring
down the old eagle and to set it before him. The eagle
opened its mouth and sang a song of praise to God, and
then it bowed down before the King, and greeted him
and wished him well.
� The King sought to know its name and the number of
its years.
! ' 'My name is Alanad," the eagle answered, "and my
years are seven hundred years."
! And the King said,
! "Perchance thou knowest or hast heard: if there is a way
into this palace tell me where it is."
� "As my soul liveth and as the soul of my lord the King
liveth, I surely do not know," the eagle answered. "But
I have an elder brother who is two hundred years older
than I, and his name is Alof. Ask him: it may be that he
knoweth. Lo, he sitteth on the roof, on the second pin
nacle."
! So the eagle returned to its own place and its elder
brother was brought in its stead.
! And the King asked,
! "Perchance thou knowest or hast heard: where is the
entrance to the palace ? "
! The second eagle also answered according to the words
of the first, and said,
! "As my soul liveth and as thy soul liveth, my lord the
King, I surely do not know. But I have an elder brother
1 07
who is four hundred years older than I, and his name is
Altaamar. Ask him, and he will tell thee; for he is wise and
knoweth all things. Lo, he sitteth on the roof, on the third
pinnacle."
� And this eagle likewise returned to its own place, and
the captain that was over all winged creatures went to
fetch the third eagle. It was the most ancient of them all
and exceedingly heavy, and by reason of its age it could
not fly. And the captain of the birds bore it on his wings
and brought it before Solomon.
� And the King asked,
� "Dost thou know, or hast thou heard, where is the en
trance to this palace? "
� And i n a quavering voice the aged eagle answered and
said,
� "As my soul liveth and as the soul of my lord the King
liveth, never in my life have I known or seen any entrance.
But my grandfather told me that there assuredly was a
way into the palace, and that it was il). a cave below the
ground on the western side. But in the course of many
years eanh had covered it and blocked it up. Let the King
dig there: it may be that he will find it."
� And the King commanded the spirits and the demons
and they dug near to the palace in the place whereof the
aged eagle had spoken. There they found an iron door,
eaten away by the rust of years. On the door was a heavy
lock and on it these words were inscribed:
Know, ye sons of men, that for many years we

dwelt in this palace, and it was well with us and
we sated ourselves with pleasure. But famine
came upon us and though we ground up pre
cious stones like wheat it availed us naught. So
we abandoned our wealth to the eagles and com
manded them saying, If any man ask you con-
Io8
cerning this palace ye shall say, We found it
built. Then lay we down on the ground and
died.
! And Solomon and his men lifted up their eyes above the
door and there they found written:
Let none enter hither save a Prophet or a King.
! To the right of the door in a hole in the wall Solomon

found a crystal casket and in it was a bundle of keys, four
in number: one was of iron, another of brass, another of
silver, and another of gold.
! Then Solomon opened the gate of iron and he found a
gate of brass. He opened this also and he found another
gate of silver; and, after that, a gate of gold.
! And it was so that when he had opened the gate of gold,
he came into a lofty and spacious hall whose walls were
of crystal, its pillars of gold, and its pavements mosaic
work in alabaster and marble. Its vaulted ceiling was made
from plates of sapphire, pure as the very sky, and set there
in were precious stones, rubies and onyx and jasper,
shining like stars.
! Hanging on the wall he saw a cluster of jewels, carnelian
and chrysolite and emerald, as large as eggs, whose like
could not be found in the crown of any king. Moreover in
the middle of the hall he beheld a small dome encrusted
with jewels and overlaid with all kinds of precious pearls,
most delicate and graceful in appearance, like the edges
of small clouds when they grow pale at sunset.
! He entered a second chamber wherein was no window
or outlet, and no lamp or light; fiery stones alone light
ened the darkness, suffusing it with numerous and vari
egated glints-shades of reel. and green and white and blue
and amber. In the corners of the chamber hy precious
1 09
stones like heaps of coals, glowing and flaming in the deep
darkness.
� Solomon entered yet a third chamber, and there he saw
a pool, wholly paved with pure crystal, sparkling as
though it were ripples of pure water, with small golden
fishes darting to and fro. The rim of the pool was en
crusted with precious stones and pearls.
' Then he came to chambers of silver, chambers of gold,
and chambers of most fine gold. And as he went from one
chamber to another his eyes could not grow weary from
the sight.
' And it came to pass that when he entered into a cenain
chamber he saw a silver scorpion crouching on the pave
ment. He kicked it to thrust it aside. Straightway the
pavement heaved-and Solomon found himself in a region
below the palace.
' Here were secret chambers of quite other shape and
form, perfect in beauty and majestic in appearance.
' Finally in the fanhest parts he reached a great chamber,
the most magnificent and beautiful of them all. And Sol
omon stood at the entrance and felt that he was in a dream.
Lifting up his eyes he looked, and, behold, before him,
sitting on an ivory throne, was a lifelike human statue.
Over its breast, hanging from its neck by a golden chain,
was a tablet made of silver. Solomon was about to draw
near to it when, of a sudden, the image shook and from its
nostrils came out smoke and fire.
' Solomon called out the Sacred Name of God . . . and
the statue fell to the ground, broken and motionless.
� Then Solomon came near and took off the tablet from
the statue. On it he found writing in some strange lan
guage. He could not read it. He was much distressed for
he saw that for all his great wisdom there was still some
thing too wonderful for him. And he could have died by
reason of his vexation.
1 10
! But while he was yet vexed and grieving, behold, a hid
den door in the wall suddenly opened and a comely youth
appeared. He drew near quietly. His steps gave out no
sound. In silence he took the tablet in his hand. Then with
an exceedingly mournful voice he read these words:
I am Shedad, the son of Adar.

Supreme was I among kings of the
eanh.
Lions and bears were in dread of
me.
The world was filled with my ma;-
esty and my glory.
I ruled over millions of princes;
On millions of horses I rode;
Millions of warriors I slew,
But over the Angel of Death I
could not prevail.
! When the youth had made an end of reading he gave a

quiet sigh and tears glistened in his eyes. He turned away
and, going silently to the door by which he had entered,
he disappeared.
! To Solomon it was all like a waking dream. He remained
standing there, dumbfounded, for his hean was sorely
penurbed and words failed him.
! So Solomon returned to his own home. His head was

bowed down and his hean subdued and broken. And ever
after that day the spirit of pain and desolation brooded
over him, and in bitterness of soul he cried,
Vanity of vanities, all is vanity !

III
THE THRONE OF SOLOMON
NOW AFTER KING SOLOI\ION HAD MADE AN END O F BUILD
ING THE TEI\IPLE O F GOD AND A PALACE FOR HE\ISELF, HE
SUI\L\10:'\ED THE !lEST AMONG THE CRAFTS�IEN AND THEY
made for him a great and wonderful throne, fashioned

with great skill and cunningly devised. The same is the
throne on which the King used to sit in the hall of judg
ment when he came in to judge the people.
� The throne was of ivory throughout, overlaid with fine
gold from Ophir and encrusted with jewels and precious
stones of every kind, ruby and onyx, jasper and chrysolite
and emeralds: never had its like been made for any king.
� And this is the manner of the throne and the form
thereof:
II2
' Six steps led up to the throne. Behind it, where the
King's head rested, the upper part was rounded, uphol
stered with gilt lamb's-wool. Beside the seat were arms on
either side, and over against them stood two lions of gold.
On each of the six steps of the throne were six lions of gold
and six eagles of gold, on this side and on that, lion facing
eagle, and eagle facing lion, the right paw of every golden
lion facing the left wing of every golden eagle.
' Lying on the steps immediately before the throne to
either side were figures of all kinds of living creatures, the
clean facing the unclean, and the unclean facing the clean.
On the lowest step lay a lion of gold with a bullock of gold
opposite to it; on the next step was a wolf of gold with a
lamb of gold opposite to it; on the third, a leopard of gold
and a kid of gold; on the fourth, a bear of gold and a gazelle
of gold; on the fifth, an eagle of gold and a dove of gold;
and on the sixth, a hawk of gold and a sparrow of gold;
while perched on the top of the throne was a great golden
dove having a golden hawk caught within its claws.
! Rising above the throne was a golden candlestick having
seven branches on the one side, whereon were portrayed
the seven patriarchs: Adam, Noah and Shem, Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, with Job among them; and seven branches
on the other side, whereon were the figures of the seven
Saints: Levi, Kohath and Amram, Moses and Aaron, with
Eldad and 1\Iedad among them.
! Over the candlestick was a golden jar full of pure olive
oil and beneath it a great golden bowl likewise full of pure
oil wherewith to kindle the lamps. Out of the bowl issued
two golden channels having in them two golden pipes
wherewith to pour out the oil; on these were portrayed
the figures of the priests, Aaron and his sons, and Eli and
his sons.
! At the two sides of the throne were two seats of gold for
the High Priest and for the priest second to him in rank;
1 13
and surrounding the throne like the half of a round thresh
ing floor were seventy seats whereon the seventy elders
of Israel sat in judgment. Behind the throne was a seat for
the King's scribe who wrote in a book a record of every
judgment.
! Vines and palms of gold surmounted the throne, casting
their shade over the King; and upon them ivory peacocks
spread out their wings, side by side with golden eagles.
And curtains of white linen, spread out like translucent
clouds, stretched over the trees, with pendants of crystal
and glass hanging from them; and with the fluttering of
the curtains the pendants shook and quietly tinkled. They
flashed forth the colours of the rainbow and their tinkling
was delicate and sweet like the vibrating of David's harp
when the morning breeze blew upon it.
! The two arms of the throne were fashioned like two
mermaids leaning on either side towards the ears of the
King, and, as he sat, his head rested motionless. The two
lions beside the arms of the throne were hollow and filled
with the choicest spices, and when the King sat down on
his throne their scent flowed forth, bestowing a refreshing
and sweet smelling savour round about.
! And thus used the King to ascend his throne:

! When his foot trod upon the lowest step a hidden wheel
within the throne turned so that the lion put forth a paw
on the right side and the bullock on the left, and raised
the King on to the next step, setting him upon the paws of
the wolf and the lamb; and these raised him on to the next
step, setting him upon the paws of the leopard and the kid;
and likewise with the other steps, until the King sat in his
place on the throne between the two mermaids.
! Then the great eagle came down and set the royal crown
on Solomon's head, a silver dragon which was fastened to
the throne sprang out and moved round and round the
1 14
King, the lions and the eagles rose up together and sur
rounded the King, and the hall was filled with majesty
and awe, and all men held their breath.
� The golden dove came down bringing out from an ark
the scroll of a book wherein were written the laws of God
and His judgments, and this the golden dove put into the
hand of the King.
� Then the two priests and the seventy elders drew near
and greeted the King and sat each in his own place. After
ward all the people came in to listen to the judgments of
Solomon.
� When lying witnesses came in the King perceived their
guile at once, and hidden wheels moved within the throne
so that the lions were made to roar, the bullock to low, the
wolf to howl, the lamb to bleat, the leopard to snarl, the
kid to weep, the bear to moan, the gazelle to pant, the
hawk to shriek, and the sparrow to chirrup, while the
eagles flew about and the peacocks coursed to and fro.
Then the fear of God fell upon the witnesses and they said
in their heart,
� "Let us testify naught save the truth, lest the world be
destroyed through our fault."
� And the King used to sit on the throne and judge the
people with righteousness and equity, for in him was
divine wisdom to distinguish between true and false and
to bring justice to the light.
� And when a decision went forth from the King's mouth,
the lions and the wild beasts crouched before him and
licked the soles of his feet, saying,
� "Blessed be King Solomon ! "
� And the eagles spread their wings over him, saying,
� "Blessed, blessed ' "
� And the people that stood there all answered with one
voice,
� "Blessed be God, and blessed be His anointed one ' And
II5
may the kingdom of the house of David stand fast for
ever ! "
* * *
� Now in the time of King Josiah, Pharaoh Necho, King

of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem, and this throne he
took as spoil, and he brought it to Egypt. And he purposed
to go up and sit upon it. But the lion put forth its right
paw and smote him on the thigh. And Pharaoh was lame
until the day of his death. Therefore was he called Pharaoh
Necho, which is, being interpreted, Pharaoh the smitten
one.
� Then Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, he that laid
waste the Holy Land, went up against Egypt and de
stroyed it. There he found the throne and brought it down
to Babylon. He, too, purposed to sit upon it, but the lion
struck him and felled him to the ground.
� Then arose Darius the Mede and destroyed Babylon. He
brought the throne to Media, and many days it stood there
and no man durst sit upon it.
� After many years came Alexander of Macedon. He
took the throne to Egypt. When Antiochus Epiphanes
destroyed Egypt he took the throne and brought it in a
ship unto his own land. But a foot of the throne with its
golden chain suffered injury, and though he brought all
the smiths and all the craftsmen of his kingdom to mend
the throne, they were not able. Behold, it is bereft of a
leg unto this day.
I I6
THE MILK OF THE LIONESS
ONE DAY THE KING O F 1\!0AB FELL GRIEVOUSLY SICK. A
WASTING DISEASE ASSAILED HIS IlODY AND HIS FLESH CON
SUMED AWAY FROM DAY TO DAY, SO THAT THE KING WAS
at the point of death. And the physicians said,

' "There is no healing for the King except he drink fresh
milk that hath been got from the dugs of an unblemished
lioness in her lair."
' So the King summoned the pride of his army and the
glory of �is hosts, the "Ariel of Moab," the Moabite Lion
men, saymg,
' "Who will go and bring the King milk that hath been
got from the dugs of an unblemished lioness in her lair ? "
117
� But not one was found brave enough or daring enough
to do this thing, for could any man draw near to a lioness
in her lair to squeeze her dugs, and escape unharmed ?
� And the King saw that his warriors held their peace, and
he was exceeding wroth and cried out in his anger,
� "Ye tongue-tied hounds' Where is your valour? Dare
not a man of you venture his life for the King?"
� Then two J\Ioabite Lion-men came forward (now these
were the "Lions" which were over the "Young Lions" in
the King's army) , and they fell down before the King
with their faces to the ground, and they said,
� "Bruise us with thy heel, 0 lord our King! Let all our
lives be given for the thinnest hair on thy head ! Let all
our heads be ransom for thy little finger nail ! Do thou but
speak the word and we will ensnare every lion and lioness
in the wilderness and bring them to thee. But this other
thing which the King commandeth is beyond man's
power: none could achieve it. Ask thy wise men: it may
be that they can give thee counsel."
� So the King inquired of his wise men and his magicians,
but neither found he any answer from their mouth, for
never before had they chanced upon the like nor had their
fathers declared it unto them. Then the King in his sore
plight bethought him of his neighbour, Solomon, King of
Israel, and of his wisdom.
� He sent him a letter in haste by the hands of his mes
sengers, telling him of all the evil that was come upon him
and of what the physicians had said.
� And in his letter he besought him, saying,
� "And now having told thee concerning all this, 0 King,
vouchsafe to act toward me in kindliness and faithfulness,
according to the kindliness which my fathers bestowed on
thy fathers when they came to sojourn in the field of
J\Ioab in the days of famine, when my fathers received
them with compassion and good will and succoured them
u8
many days. Remember that we are brethren, since thou art
seed of the third generation from Ruth the Moabitess,
who was of the family of my father's house and who
clave to thy people and thy tribe, as thou knowest. When,
therefore, thou hast heard my request may it be that thou
wilt have compassion on me and not withhold thy counsel
and thy help according to the good hand of God upon
thee and according to his wisdom that is within thee; for
I know that none is so wise as thou and that naught is too
wonderful for thee."
! Thus did the King of Moab send to Solomon by the
hand of his messengers. Moreover he sent with them
choice products of his country as a present to the King of
Judea. After the messengers had left his presence he arose
in his wrath and to his counsellors and to the captains of
his army he said,
! "Oh, ye most despicable slaves ! This day have ye
shamed your King and his throne so that men will say,
There is no counsel and no might in Moab' If, therefore,
the King of Judea shall fulfil my request, I will cast your
carcases to the dogs. Get ye gone out of my sight! Let me
not see your faces! "
! And it came to pass that when the letter reached the

hand of Solomon, the words of the King of Moab touched
his heart, and he summoned the captain of his host, Ben
aiah, the son of Jehoiada, and he showed him the letter
and said,
! "Son of Jehoiada, wilt thou go to bring milk from the
dugs of the lioness? "
! And the son of Jehoiada answered,
! "For thy glory, 0 King, and for the glory of the God
of Israel ! "
! "And what wilt thou take with thee?"
! "Let ten kids be given to thy servant."
1 19
' A smile passed over the King's lips, for he understood his
warrior's purpose. And he said,
' "I know that thou art a mighty man and a wily warrior,
and that naught will turn thee back. Go, and God be with
thee. And wheresoever thou goest let thine eye be alen
and thine ear attentive, and thou shalt be saved alive."
' Then Solomon blessed the captain of his host and sent
him away.
' And Benaiah delayed not, but taking with him ten goats
and his shepherd boy he arose to go and seek out where a
den of lions could be found.
' Now Benaiah was light and swift on his feet as any han;
his eye was like an eagle's eye, piercing gloom and dark
ness; and his ear was like a net in the deep sea-the lightest
rustle in the farthest distance could not escape it.
' And Benaiah went a long journey and came to the
borders of Senir and Hermon: they are the mountains
where from of old have lurked wild beasts and lions. Now
the time was the time of wintry cold and there was snow
in those mountains and in the places round about. And
Benaiah sought until he found the tracks of a lion in the
snow. He shut up his flock of goats within a crevice of a
rock and forbade the boy to stir from thence until he called
to him.
' Then Benaiah followed the tracks of the lion, supposing
that he would find the den near by. As he went up the
mountain he saw to his confusion that the tracks of the
lion had suddenly changed : and it was marvellous in his
sight. While he yet wondered, lo, a mighty roar reached
his ears: it was like to the roar of a lion, yet it was not the
roar of a lion, for it differed from it as by a hair's breadth.
And it all seemed to him a great riddle.
' Suddenly he found out the riddle:
' "Are not these the tracks of the 1\loabite Lion-men ?
And was not that their roar ? It can only be that they are
1 20
come out to seek my life. That it is which the King made
known to me when he said, Let thine eye be alert and thine
ear attentive ! "
� And the spirit of counsel and might took possession of
Benaiah, and he knew what he should do.
� And, truly, as Benaiah had thought, so it was. When
tidings reached the Moabite Lion-men that Benaiah was
gone forth to get the milk of a lioness, they were greatly
afraid, for they remembered what their King in the hour
of his wrath had sworn concerning them. And the two
Moabite Lion-men took counsel together (now these
were the "Lions" which were over the "Young Lions" in
the King's army) to go out to oppose Benaiah and to lay
snares in his path.
� These Moabite Lion-men were an evil-tempered and
impetuous company, more savage than ravening beasts,
and they had long vexed the people of Judea. All of them
were huge and fearsome men, heavily accoutred in iron
and brass; the hair of their heads and their beards were like
lions' manes, lions' skins were about their loins, and iron
shoes shaped like lions' paws were on their feet; and in
their throats was the roar of a lion.
� Yet for all this they put no confidence in their strength,
for they well knew that there was none so prudent in
device and swift in counsel as Benaiah. But this time they
thought to match Benaiah in cunning. So they two set out
to ovenake Benaiah on the journey and to join themselves
with him as skilled huntsmen and companions who were
come to his help. But Benaiah had gone his way in secret
and had sped like an eagle by hidden and devious paths
wherein no foot had ever trod. So the two Moabite Lion
men gave up their plan and came to the mountains where
the wild beasts lurked, well knowing that Benaiah must
come thither. And there they lay in wait for him behind a
cleft in a rock.
121
� Supposing that they could draw Benaiah to their hiding
place, they uttered from time to time a roar as of a lion to
deceive him into following after the roaring, so that he
might fall into their hands.
� But the eyes of Benaiah were opened wide, and he knew
that he must act warily. And so soon as he perceived whose
were the footprints and the roar, he covered himself
quickly with a white sheet which he had made ready for
himself from the beginning that he should not be visible
in the snow.
� He turned back and quickly returned in his tracks to
the crevice of the rock where he had left his flock and the
boy. Then he sent the boy in front of him to follow in
the track of the footprints in the snow until they came to
an end; and he taught the lad what he should do and what
he should say.
� So the lad went up the slope of the mountain, weeping as
he went, according to the instruction of Benaiah. And Ben
aiah stole along wrapt in the white sheet not far behind him.
� When the lad turned to go behind the cleft of a rock,
there sprang out upon him suddenly the two Moabite
Lion-men who had been lying in wait:
� "Who art thou, boy ? And why comest thou hither ? "
� Still weeping, and with teeth chattering, the lad an
swered,
� "Alas, my lord, I am one of the lads which mind our
master's flock, and I have lost a lamb and am come to seek
for it in the mountains, if perchance I may find it. But I
fear greatly by reason of the lions, for there are many of
them in this place."
� But one of them that lay in wait suddenly seized him,
for his suspicion was awakened, and he shook him to and
fro and roared furiously,
� "And who is thy master, thou son of a dog? And where
is he now ?"
1 22
� "Behind thee! " answered a voice from behind him.
� And through the neck of the Lion-man who held the lad
was thrust a heavy spear, and it stopped his mouth.
� Before the other Lion-man could turn round to see
whence came the evil, behold, a shining sword, and his
head was split like a pumpkin.
� The voice was the voice of Benaiah; his was the spear,
and his was the sword.
� He had followed closely after the lad, ready to avenge
himself on those who had sought his life and who had
vexed his people. And there fell on that day two of the
Moabite Lion-men, wallowing in their blood in the snow.
And Benaiah cast their two carcases into a pit.
� As he turned to go away he looked, and, behold, a lion
leaping along, coming down towards the pit, drawn by
the smell of blood.
� Benaiah went down after it into the pit and slew it, and
added its carcase to the carcases of the two Moabite Lion
men, for he said,
� "Let it not be a hindrance to me when I go to the lioness
in her lair."
� Then Benaiah set forth and followed the tracks of the
lion so that he should find its den. And the sun went down,
and he spent that night in a crevice of the rock.
� And it came to pass the next day that Benaiah found the
den of lions which he had been seeking, and therein was a
lioness suckling her whelps. It was none other than the
lioness which yesterday he had made a widow and whose
whelps he had made orphans.
� Benaiah took one of his goats and threw it in front of
the lioness. But he stood afar off.
� The next day he came a little closer and threw before
her yet another goat. So did he to the lioness every day,
until she was accustomed to him.
123
� At the end of ten days she suffered him to come close to
her and to play with her and to handle her dugs.
� Thus Benaiah was able to take of her milk.
� And he took the milk and brought it away; and he bore
it to King Solomon.
� Then Solomon summoned the messengers of Moab and
said,
� "Lo, here is the milk of the lioness for which ye asked.
Take it and bring it to your master that he may drink
thereof and be healed. And let him remember in thank
fulness my warrior Benaiah, the man of might, for at peril
of his life got he the milk of the lioness. Go, now, in peace,
and may God be with your mouth and with your tongue! "
� And the messengers of the King o f Moab took the milk

and went their way. And as they journeyed the sun went
down, and they came unto a place where they spent the
night.
� That night while they lay asleep the chief among the
messengers (the same was also the King's physician and
had counselled him to drink the milk of a lioness) dreamed
a dream; and, behold, the members of his body contended
the one with the other.
� The legs said,
� "We surpass all the other members, for without us, who
could have gone to get the milk for the King ? "
� And the hands said,
� "Wc rank highest, for without us how could the dugs
of the lioness have been pressed or the milk taken? "
� And the eyes said,
� "We come before all, for without us none could see
his way or find his hands and feet."
! And the hean answered,
� "Without me ye arc all as nothing, for I am the coun-
1 24
sellor, and without my counsel what profit is there in any
of you ? "
! And the tongue said,
! "1, even I, am to be preferred above you all, for without
the power of speech which is in me, ye had accomplished
nothing ! "
! When the tongue had thus spoken, all the other mem
bers rose up against it and reviled it and spoke despitefully
of it, saying,
! "Pshaw! thou skulker in darkness and gloom! Pish, thou
flabby, boneless creature! Wouldest thou boast thyself
against us? Art thou not afraid to take thy stand among
the mighty ? "
! But the tongue answered,
! "Verily, this day shall ye acknowledge every one of you
that I, even I, am your master."
! And the King's physician awoke, and lo, it was a dream.
But he kept these sayings in his heart. Then he arose and
hastened on his j ourney, both he and they that were with
him.
! So the messengers returned. They carne and stood before
the King, and the chief among the messengers brought the
jar of milk and offered it to the King.
! But his mind was still confused by reason of his dream in
the night, and he said,
! "My lord the King, behold, we have now returned, and
we bring thee the milk of a bitch . . . "
! When the messenger uttered that word the King's face
became distorted with passion, and he stamped with the
foot of fury and cried out,
! "Away with him! Let him be hanged! "
! Forthwith he was carried off by the chief executioner.
And all the members in his body shuddered and writhed
in their terror of death.
! But the tongue said,
125
� "So now ye see that I hold you all in my power! Will ye
not admit, now, that I am indeed master of you all ? "
� And the members o f the body answered, every one of
them, and said,
� "We do indeed admit it! We grant thee all greatness
and all pre-eminence . . . . Only, pray, turn away from
us quickly this bitterness of death ! "
� So the tongue said to the chief executioner,
� "Take me back to the King, for I have somewhat to say
unto him touching his welfare and his health."
� The physician was taken back to the King.
� He cast himself down at the King's feet and made sup
plication to him, saying,
� "Alas, my lord the King, why was I taken out to be
hanged ? For lo, I had brought thee the very drink that
should give healing to thy flesh ! "
� And the King said,
' "Did not thine own mouth testify against thee that thou
hadst brought me the milk of a bitch ?"
' The physician answered,
' "Let my lord the King but make trial and drink of the
milk, whether or not it will bring him healing; for the milk
is in truth the milk of "a lioness: though sometimes in the
speech of huntsmen they call a lioness a bitch. May the
King forgive this once the error of his servant's mouth in
that he kept no guard over his tongue when he stood be
fore the King."
' And the words entered the King's heart so that he
hearkened to them and drank of the milk. And he was
healed.
� That selfsame day the King dismissed the company of
the Moabite Lion-men and disbanded them so that they
oppressed Israel no more. And the peace of truth prevailed
between the King of Moab and between Israel all the days
of Solomon.
1 26
' And this is the matter whereof Solomon wrote in his
Proverbs:
Death and life are in the power of the

tongue.
l! 2 /
WHICH WAS THE THIEF ?
OXE DAY THREE 1\IERCHANTSWENT FORTH FROM SHECHEM
TO G O TO JERUSALI:M, EACH WITH HIS BAG O F MONEY IN
I liS llANO. WHILE THEY WERE ON THE WAY, THE NIGHT O F
Sabbath overtook them when they must break their jour

ney. So they took counsel together and hid their bags of
money in a secret place, all of them in the one place. And
there they kept the Sabbath.
' In the middle of the night one of them rose up secretly
and stole all the money and hid it in another place. And
the others knew it not.
' When the Sabbath was ended and they came to get their
money they saw that it had gone, and they cried out with
a great cry and each in anger accused the other, the one
saying, "Thou art the thief ! ", while the other said, "Nay,
but thou an the thief ! "
! So they seized every man his companion and came up to
Jerusalem and brought their suit before King Solomon.
! When the King had heard their words he said,
! "Come again. Judgment shall be given in the morning."
! So the three men lodged in Jerusalem that night.
! In the morning they returned to the King. And it was so
that when the King beheld them, and after he had regarded
them for a while, he answered and said,
! "Not only have I heard, but the sight of you assureth me,
that ye are shrewd merchants and wise in the ways of
justice. Come, therefore, let me ask you concerning a
matter which befell in the land of Edom, and which the
king of that country hath sent unto me to put me to the
proof. Hearken, now, and tell me how ye would decide.
! "Thus the matter befell:
! Two men lived in a certain town in the land of

Edom, one rich and the other poor. The rich man
had a daughter who was very beautiful, sincere
and intelligent; and the poor man had a son who
was prudent and upright. This boy, the son of the
poor man, loved the girl, and also she loved him;
and she swore an oath that except by his consent
she would be betrothed to no other man. This be
came known to the girl's father; but it seemed to
him an evil thing to give his daughter to the poor
man's son. He made naught of her oath and went
and affianced her to a rich young man, a well born
youth who lived in another town. When the rich
young man saw the girl's beauty his soul clave to
her, and he gave her many gifts, bracelets and
necklaces and golden rings, and his soul failed
with longing for the time appointed for the mar
riage. When the time drew near he hastened to the
129
house of the girl's rather to take her to himself. Hut
when he came in unto her chamber to speak with
her, she refused to listen, for she said to the bride
groom,
! "As God liveth, never will I follow thee until I
have first been to a certain youth and asked his
consent, for thus did I swear to him on oath."
! The bridegroom subdued his longi1;g and let her
alone. - - - -
g And she rose up and tied in a bundle all her orna

ments and her valuable possessions and took them
to the house of the poor youth and said to him,
! "I know that thou lovest me, but my father's will
is strong upon me: he hath given me to another
man and I cannot rebel against his command. Take
from me, I pray, all my ornaments and my valu
able possessions, and release me from my oath."
! The girl wept, and the boy also wept with her.
- · ·
And he said,
! "If it is God's will to keep us apart, let Him do
what is good in His sight. And thou, because thou
hast remained steadfast to thine oath, be thou
blessed of God and blessed all thy days. And I lift
up my hand to God that I will take naught of thine •
. Go, return to thy house in peace, and rejoice in

thy bridegroom, and may he also rejoice in thee ! "
! So the girl went back to the bridegroom and be
came his wife. And for seven days the bridegroom
made a great feast. And when the days of the feast
were accomplished he took his wife and all that he
had and set forth to return to his own town and
and to his own home.
! \Vhile they were on the way a company of
robbers suddenly fell upon them, and they would
have_killed them and taken their goods, but the>
__
qn
chief of the robbers, an old man, saw that the girl
was good to look upon, and he coveted her and did
not suffer his young men to lay hands on her.
� He came near to seize her, but she threw herself
down before him and said,
� "Oh, sir, let me, I pray, speak a word in thine ear,
and then do with me as may seem good to thee."
� And she told the eldest of the robbers all that had
befallen her, and she said,
� "Let my lord, therefore, lay it to heart and judge.
Behold, my bridegroom to whom my father affi
anced me is a youth in the fulness of his strength;
nevertheless he subdued his longing and left me
alone until I should be released from my oath.
Then how canst thou, an old man and withered,
standing daily on the edge of the grave, do this
great evil, to take a woman that is not thine and sin
against God continually ? And now, if it is riches
that thou desirest, take all the silver and gold, take
the jewels and precious stones; only let me and my
husband go in safety."
� And the words entered into the old robber's
heart and he let her alone. Moreover he gave back
to her and to her husband all their goods: the silver
and gold and ornaments, he gave them all back.
� And he let them go to their own home in safety.
� "All this story," said King Solomon, "did the King of

Edom declare unto me, and he hath required me to tell him
soon my decision concerning them that had taken part,
and to say which among them all was most to be praised,
which among them all had shown himself to be the best
and the most upright. And now, since God by chance hath
brought before me men of knowledge such as ye are, I
IJI
said, Come, let me hear what ye will say. Did not David
my father say, 'From all that teach me I get me under
standing'? Examine the matter closely, therefore, and
answer me according to your understanding."
� The first merchant answered and said,
� "I give highest praise to the girl, who remained steadfast
to her oath."
� The second answered,
� "In my sight the bridegroom is most to be praised, be
cause he subdued his longing."
� And the third answered,
� "I give highest praise to the chief of the robbers, for
he let the girl alone, and as though this was but a light thing
in his eyes he even gave back all the goods which he had
stolen, though this she had not asked of him. Of a truth,
the latter deed was greater than the former: praise is in
deed his due ! "
� Hardly had these words left the lips of the third mer
chant than Solomon turned upon him the eye of wrath
and cried out,
� "He is the thief ! "
� The King spake the word and straightway the man fell
on his face to the ground and confessed and said,
� "Of a truth I have sinned, my lord the King. I, even I,
took the money. Behold, it is hidden in such and such a
place."
! And when they searched for the money it was found in
the place of which the thief had spoken. The money was
restored to its owners and the thief was punished in ac
cordance with his wickedness.
! And all Israel knew of a truth that the wisdom of God
was in their King, for he judged not by the sight of his
eyes, but he looked to the heart. And they loved him and
feared him exceedingly.
! On that day King Solomon added yet another to his
132
proverbs of wisdom which he wrote down on a scroll,
_
saymg:
The fining pot is for silver, and the

furnace for gold,
But the Lord trieth the hearts.
133
UZZIEL AND HANNAH
.
SUCH GREAT WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING AND BREADTH
O F MIND DID GOD GIVE TO SOLOMON THAT HE WAS THE
WISEST AMONG ALL MEN. SOLOMON KNEW ALL THE WAYS
of mankind, their innermost motives, the crooked work

ing of their minds and their artifices. And in the wisdom
and understanding wherewith God had endowed him he
uttered many proverbs concerning them.
� One day the spirit rested on him and he uttered this
saying:
One man among a thousand have I found,

But a woman among all those have I not
found.
� And the people and the elders when they heard this were
amazed, for they said,
� "Herein hath the King issued a most harsh judgment
against women ! Can it indeed be that there is not even
one among women that is upright and God-fearing, hold
ing fast her integrity at all times ? "
� And they declared this to the King.
� And the King said to them,
� "Would ye see with your own eyes that what I have
said concerning women is no idle talk ? "
� They answered,
� "\Ve would, indeed ! "
� And Solomon said,
� "This, then, shall ye do: From among them that dwell
in Jerusalem choose out a man and a woman whom ye
know to be righteous and honest, and I will prove my
words."
� And the elders answered,
� "Behold, the excellent Uzziel and his pious wife Han
nah ! In all the borders of Israel there is none more right-'
eous and honest than they."
� So the King sent and summoned Uzziel and spake with
him in secret, saying,
� "Lo, I have heard of thee that thou art a man of might
and probity, and it seemed good in my sight to set thee
high above all the captains of my army . • .but only if thou
obey me in all that I command thee.'�
� And Uzziel answered,
� "I am thy servant ! Whatsoever thou biddest me I will
do. But let me, I pray, be as one of the least of the King's
servants."
� And the King said to him,'
� "Nay, but I will greatly exalt thee and set thee higher
than all my faithful captains; and thou shalt be second to
me in rank and my counsellor. 1\1uch silver and gold will
135
I give to thee and I will bestow great riches upon thee.
And all this is but a light thing in my sight: I will also give
thee the fairest of my daughters to be thy wife . . . but
only if thou obey me in all that I command thee. Art thou
willing ? "
!!And Uzziel made answer i n all simplicity,
! "Who am I that I should disobey the King's command?"
! "If so, thus shalt thou do. Take from me this sharp sword
and gird it on beneath thy garments that none may see it;
and in the night arise and slay thy wife in her bed, and
bring her head to me in the morning."
! And Uzziel writhed in his distress and said,
! "Alas, my lord the King' How can I do this most horn
hie thing-to slay by stealth an innocent soul, the wife of
my covenant, who never in all her days hath sinned against
me! "
! The King answered as though in anger,
!"Uzziel, the King's favour is as dew upon the grass, and
his anger is as messengers of death. If the King hath or
dained a thing, who is he that dareth to disobey him:> Be
gone' Do as I have bidden thee, for thy life is in jeopardy' "
! And putting the sword into his hand, the King sent him
away.
! Then Uzziel returned home and sat down grieving and
sighing, and with the sword beneath his garments.
! "What hath vexed thee, 0 my husband? " asked his wife.
"And why is thy face troubled?"
! He lifted up his eyes to her in compassion, and he
tho�ght that his heart would break; and he deceived her,
saymg,
! "It is naught, my wife: it is but an evil spirit: it will
pass."
! So his wife spake with him cheeringly and pressed him
to eat and to drink. She strove to make him speak; but in
1 36
his sorrow he kept silence and would touch nothing of
what she brought before him on the table. And that
whole evening he sat gloomy and desolate.
! And it came to pass in the middle of the night, while his
wife was sleeping in her bed with her children in the bed
beside her, that her husband entered stealthily and in his
hand was a drawn sword.
! He drew near to the bed. He looked upon the face of
his wife, and lo, she was lying with her eyes closed and
her hands relaxed on the pillow. She was sleeping peace
fully with her hair spread out over her children: the one
child lay with his head on her bosom and the other with
his head on her shoulder.
! Uzziel looked at them and his heart went out to them,
and he said,
! "Let what will befall, never will I put fonh my hand
against the wife of my youth and the mother of my chil
dren, even though the King slay me! "
! He thrust back the sword into its scabbard and bent
down and gently kissed his wife's hand. And all that night
he kept watch over her.
! When it was morning the King's guard came and took
Uzziel in haste to the palace.
! The King asked,
! "Where is thy wife's head?"
! And Uzziel fell down before the feet of the King and
said,
! "My lord the King, if evil is determined by thee against
me, then I beseech thee, cut off my head! Only put not
forth a hand against my wife, for wherein hath she sinned
against any man? Or why should the mother be taken
from her children' "
! And the King made his face to shine upon him, and he
said,
! "Peace be to thee, my son! Fear not! It was but to test
13 7
thee that I said to thee that which I did say. Return to thy
home and rejoice in thy wife, for no hand shall touch her.
And as for thee, tell no man of this until the day when J
bid thee. Take heed: I have warned thee ! "
� And Uzziel returned t o his home joyful and happy; and,
as the King had commanded him, he said nothing to any
man.
� And it came to pass after thirty days that the King sent
in secret and summoned Hannah, the wife of Uzziel, and
he spake privately with her, saying,
� "Behold, now, I know that thou art a beautiful woman,
and my soul longeth after thee. I am minded to take thee
to be my wife. I would clothe thee in scarlet and broidery,
with gold, even most fine gold, and adorn thee with the
choicest adornments, and set a royal crown on thy head.
And I would set thy throne higher than all the queens
and put thee on my right hand."
� A fire kindled in the woman's eyes; but the King went
on enticing her without ceasing:
� "And when thou dwellest with me in my palace all thy
days shall be joy and delight, and thy nights feasting and
dancing and pleasure; the flowers in my garden shall offer
thee their fragrant incense and the sweetest of songs shall
belaud thy loveliness; kings' daughters shall hear thy
praise and call thee blessed, and princesses shall envy thy
magnificence."
� The woman's heart melted and turned into a rill of wa
ter, and she answered,
� "My lord and my King! Here am I - in thy hand!"
� But the King continued his words:
� "Yct one there is that standeth between me and thee: it
is thy husband. Nevertheless it is in thy power to thrust
him aside . . . "
' "But how can I prevail against him?" she asked.
138
· ! "With the sword! With this sword which I put into thy
hand thou shalt surely slay him in the night when none
seeth. And when the days of mourning are accomplished
I will send for thee and bring thee to my palace, and thou
shalt be my wife."
! The woman straightway consented, took the sword and
went out.
! Now the King had seen from the beginning what the
end would be, and he had made a sword of shining lead
which could do no hurt or injury. But the woman had not
observed it, and she went back quickly to her home and
none knew of her going or of her returning.
! When evening was come and Uzziel returned home from
his work, Hannah greeted him with shining face and not
as her custom was at other times, for she embraced him
and kissed him and coaxed him most tenderly, while she
said,
! "Sit and refresh thyself, my husband and my lord!
Surely thou art weary, 0 crown of my head ! "
! And she prepared him a table full o f dainty dishes, and
she brought him wine in abundance, saying,
! "Oh, delight of my eyes! Eat and drink, and make thy
heart merry!"
! And Uzziel in his simplicity asked,
! "How cometh it, my wife, that this night differeth from
other nights ? "
! And she answered deceitfully,
' "Oh, my soul's desire! It is only that a spirit of happi
ness hath taken hold on me this night and I am determined
to rejoice over thee' Drink, my husband, and be merry!
And let us rejoice and be glad together! "
! So she poured him out cup after cup, and he feared no
evil. He drank until he was drunken and sleep overpow
ered him. Sunk in deep sleep he lay down on the couch
whereon he had sat.
139
' The woman saw that he was deep in sleep. She girded
herself with strength, drew out the sword and smote his
neck with all her might. He awoke and came to himself.
He saw his wife standing over him and in her hand a drawn
sword. He writhed in his anguish. He seized her arm and
shouted out at her,
! "What hast thou done? And what doest thou with a
drawn sword in thy hand?"
! She fell down at his feet and confessed to him her wick
ed purpose. Moreover she told him all, and how the King
had enticed her.
! Uzziel listened and let her alone.
! All through the night she wept and sobbed and smote
herself and tore her hair, for she was greatly ashamed and
said,
! "Woe is me! How dare I ever again look my husband
in the face! "
' And it came to pass i n the morning that the King's guard
came in haste to the house and brought Uzziel and his
wife before the King.
! At that hour the King was sitting on his throne in the
hall of judgment and the seventy elders of Israel sat on his
right hand and on his left. When the King saw Uzziel and
his wife he laughed and turned to the husband and said,
! "Declare, I pray, in my ears and in the ears of the elders,
all that befell in thy house during the night. Hide
nothing."
! And Uzziel told everything: how the King had first
tempted him and how his wife had dealt with him dur
ing the night.
! And he said,
! "I had compassion on her, but she had no compassion
on me' If it had not been a leaden sword she would have
cut off my head."
! Again the King laughed and, turning to the elders, he
said,
! "Do ye not see ? It is the selfsame thing of which my
mouth hath spoken:
One man among a thousand have I found,

But a woman among all those have I not
found."
THE THREE BROTHERS
THREE BROTHERS ONCE CAME TO KIXG SOLO:\ION, FOR
THEY HAD BEARD O F HIS WISDOM AND WERE MINDED TO
LEARN FROl\I Hl:\1 KXOWLEDGF: AND UXDERSTANDING.
! And Solomon said to them,

! "I will grant you your wish, but on this condition -
that ye stand before me three years to minister unto me."
! And the three brothers hearkened to him, and they
stood before Solomon in his palace and ministered to him.
! But when the three years were fulfilled and the brothers
had still not learnt one word of wisdom from him, their
anger was kindled greatly and they said one to another,
1 42
� "How long shall we sit in the King's house to no pur
pose? Come, let us return to our homes and our wives: let
us no more suffer this indignity."
� So they came and bowed themselves down before the
King with their faces to the ground, and they said,
� "0 lord our King ! Thy servants have fully accom
plished the prescribed three years in thy palace. Now,
therefore, give us leave to depart that we may return to
our homes and our wives, for the appointed time is at
hand."
� The King commanded that three hundred pieces of gold
be brought, and he set them before them and said,
� "Choose each of you one of two things: to take from
my hand a hundred pieces of gold, or to receive from my
mouth three pieces of counsel and guidance. Whichever
it be, it shall be the reward for your service. Make your
choice ! "
' The brothers pondered in their hearts, and then they
chose the gold. According to their desire so the King
granted them; and he sent them away in peace.
� As they went out through the door of the palace, the
youngest among the brothers bethought himself, and he
said,
! "My brethren, what is this that we have done ? Was it
for gold that we devoted ourselves when we came to
stand before Solomon? Was it for that that we endured all
this toil ? Come, let us give back these bags of gold to the
King and take instead his words of wisdom."
! But when his two brothers heard him they mocked at
him and despised him, and went on their way, each bear
ing his bag of gold.
! But the youngest brother straightway went back to
carry out his purpose.
! And when the King saw him and heard his request, he
made his face to shine upon him and said,
1 +3
' "Behold, I have hearkened to thee, and I will take back
from thee the gold and will give thee instead three pieces
of counsel and wisdom according to thy wish. And these
are they:
Find thee a lodging for the night before

the sun goeth down.
Cross not a river when the waters thereof
are in flood.
Withhold thy secret from a woman, even
though she be the wife of thy bosom."
' The youngest brother gave thanks to the King and

departed.
' He mounted his horse and rode on until he overtook his
brothers and they three journeyed onwards together.
' When the sun was about to set, the three brothers drew
near to a quiet habitation, safe from any fear of evil, than
which could be no better resting-place for the night.
' And the youngest brother said,
' "Lo, here is a place of trees and grass and water, both
a refuge for us and a pasturage for our beasts. Let us, I
pray, pass the night here, and in the morning at dawn we
will rise early and go on our way."
' But his brothers refused, saying,
' "We will not make our camp here: we can still journey
three hours more before nightfall. As for thee, do as thou
art guided by the wisdom of Solomon, and pass the night
here; but we will get us on our way and not waste our
time in vain."
' So the two brothers went on their way together and left
their youngest brother by himself in the field. He alighted
from his horse, kindled a fire from the dry sticks which
he gathered, and built himself a hut under a thirk oak tree.
He gave his horse food and water, and then refreshed hirn-
1 44
self. He ate and drank and lay down in that place; and his
sleep was altogether peaceful.
! When the day dawned he awoke from his sleep and rode
upon his horse and followed in his brothers' tracks. After
some hours he came to a very high mountain covered with
snow. While he was going up the mountain he discovered,
rolled up in the snow, the lifeless bodies of his brothers.
For in the night they had found themselves among snow
covered rocks and there consumed by cold, they froze
to death.
! The youngest brother wept and, in fitting fashion, he
buried them. Weeping and down-hearted he took their
bags of gold and went on his way.
! As he went down from the mountain on the other side
towards the river below, the noonday sun was blazing
with all its might, and it melted the snow, bringing down
floods of water which rushed down to the foot of the
mountain so that when he was come down thither, be
hold, the stream which had flowed there was become a
flooded river, for the melted snow had swollen it to over
flowing, and every minute its waters waxed higher and
more rapid, blocking the way before horse and rider.
! While he stood waiting and holding back his horse on
this side of the river, there drew near on the other side two
men, servants of King Solomon, riding on two mules and
carrying sacks of gold. They and their mules came down
to pass through the water. But when the youngest brother
saw what they would do, he called out to them in a loud
voice, warning them and saying,
! "God forbid ! Come not down ! It will be at peril of
your lives ! Wait, as I do, until the waters abate, and then
cross over. For thus did the King advise and instruct me."
! But they paid no heed to him or to his warning. When
they had reached the middle of the flooded river, they and
their beasts were dragged off their feet and swept away.
1 45
� Three days the youngest brother waited until the water
had fallen. Then, tied to the carcases of the mules, he
found the bags of gold, and he pulled them out of the river
and loaded them upon his own horse. And so after a few
days he returned to his own home in safety, very heavily
laden with gold.
� \Vhen he was come back, the wives of his two brothers
came to him and asked,
� "Our husbands, where are they ?"
� And he answered,
� "Because of their love of wisdom they cannot make an
end of their pleasure therein, and so they have lingered
longer than 1."
� With his gold he bought fields and vineyards and pros
pered greatly.
� And it came to pass about this time that his wife asked
him, saying,
� "Wilt thou not tell me whence came to thee all this
wealth ? "
� But he treasured i n his heart that third piece o f guidance
which Solomon had given to him, and he held his peace:
not even a hint of all that had befallen him did he reveal.
Nevertheless his wife would not leave him in peace but
pressed him closely day after day, sometimes speaking
with him tenderly and sometimes bitterly, urging him to
tell her what was hidden in his heart.
� Then, at last, when he had become wearied by her, he
told her and kept back nothing.
� And evil did not long delay.
� After a few days a quarrel broke out between him and
his wife, and she cried out with a loud voice,
� "\Vas it but a light thing that thou slewest thy two
brothers! And thinkest thou to slay me also!"
� And her words were heard in the house of hJs brothers'
I 46
widows, and they straightway brought their suit before
King Solomon.
! But when the man came before the King and told his
story, the King at once recognised him. He knew what
was the truth of the whole matter.
! And he said,
! "Go in peace. Thou art innocent of wrong-doing. I feel
great grief for them that perished; nevertheless I doubly
rejoice that the words of my counsel were a help even but
to one and saved him from death. Return now to thy
home, and remember that wisdom is more precious than
gold and no desirable thing can be compared with it."
THE WOMAN WHO SUED THE WIND
O�CE A WEARY, FRAIL AND TOTTERING WOMAN, BATHED

I� TEARS, CAl\IE AKD CAST HERSELF DOWN BEFORE SOL-
0:\10N A�D CRIED OUT TO HIM,
� "Oh, my father and my King ! Espouse my cause and

avenge me of mine adversary the wind ! "
� The King's heart went out in pity when he saw the
woman and heard her lamentation. But he marvelled
greatly at her words and he said to her in pity,
� "The wind ? Wherein is thy soul afflicted, my daugh
ter? Speak, and I ,,·ill hearken."
� And with tears falling down her cheeks she answered,
� "Oh ! my lord the King! I am a widow and alone in the
world. All that thy handmaid possessed was a broken
down wooden hut by the sea which sheltered my head,
:C d �
and these ten lean fingers with which I kept myself alive
by weaving nets for fishermen. But then came endless days
of mighty storms at sea, so that my frail staff of bread was
broken, for fishing ceased, no more did men spread their
nets in the sea, and none sought my handiwork.
� "And one morning I looked, and, lo, my jar of flour was
empty. But still the sea raged and stormed, and from terror
of starvation my heart failed me, so that I went out with
the poorest of the people and gleaned behind the reapers
in the fields of the charitable. All that day I spent in the
fields with back bowed down and face buried in the
ground, for the shame of it had broken my heart. The
grain that I gleaned I washed with my tears.
� "Alas ! my King and my father! Verily thy handmaid
hath been wretched and poor from her youth up; her food
hath been ever the bread of affliction, and the bread of
kindness hath she never known. But that day God beheld
my poverty and blessed my labour, so that I filled my
bosom with ears of corn. Moreover God moved the master
of the field and his young men so that they had compassion
on me and, though I asked it not, they added to my glean
ing with a generous hand.
� "On the evening of the second day I winnowed my
gleanings and ground them, and they gave me about half
an ephah of flour; and I bound it up in my kerchief and
would have carried it to my hut. But while I was on the
way, with the wind thrusting and buffeting me violently
from behind, lo, a man met me, a man overpowered by
the dread and the terrors of death. I would have turned
away from him, but he seized me and cried,
� " 'Oh, woman, help me ! Fire fell from heaven and
burnt up all the village where I dwelt and altogether de
voured it with every li,·ing thing and every possession, so
that none escaped and nothing remained. I alone am
escaped from the fire, and these three days no food hath
1 49
entered my mouth. Wilt thou not save me from dying of
hunger ? '
� "His face testified that h e lied not, and I made haste and
gave him about a third pan of the flour from my bundle.
He went his way, and in my hean I thanked God who
had given me occasion to perform an act of kindness and
mercy, to save aiive a starving man, like as others had dealt
mercifully with me that day and the former day.
� "I had not gone far, and there was yet a space of country
between me and the hut where I dwelt, when there came
another man; and he was terror-stricken and sorely pressed
like one that had been hotly pursued and had scarce
escaped alive; and in his eyes a strange fire burned, the fire
of hunger. And before I could understand, he suddenly
stood in my way and cried,
� 'Bread! Bread! Give me bread! A band of Arabs raided
"
my camp and all my herds. All my goods have they plun

dered and they have put every soul to death. I alone am
escaped from the slaughter, and these three days I have
tasted no food. I beseech thee, save my life ! '
' "His eyes bore witness to the truth of his words. To
him, also, I divided about a third pan of my flour. And I
praised God that He had chosen me and twice made me
His messenger to save a man's life.
� "The wind grew still more violent; and barely had I
reached the door of my hut or my hand touched the knob
of the bolt, than there blew a sudden and most mighty
gust, smiting me with such force that it stunned me; and
before I could find my hands or my feet, lo, my bundle,
the bundle of flour, all that was left me of my gleaning,
was wrenched out of my hand and disappeared. Some
hidden hand had snatched it and borne it far away into the
sea. For a while I saw it tossed like a feather on the wings
of the wind. I ran after it, panting and wailing, stretching
out my hands towards it as a mother stretcheth out her
1 50
hands towards her babe that has been snatched away in
the claws of an eagle. But the howling wind drowned my
outcry and my arms fell back empty, while the bundle
flew about like a bird in the night and was lost to sight.
! "Crushed and broken in spirit I hurried back to the hut,
there to hide myself in my grief. But lo, my hut, my sole
shelter and refuge, lay before me shattered and broken
into fragments. Even against my hut had the wind turned
its hand and ovenhrown it and wrecked it. I sank down
among the ruins; no strength was left in me. All the night
I lay like a stone in pitch darkness.
! "And now, my father and my King, while life is still in
me, I am come to bring my plaint before thy footstool.
Espouse my cause and right my wrongs ! "
! After she had poured out t o the end her tale o f mis
fonunes, her face became a torrent of tears. Many also of
them that stood in the hall of judgment wept with her;
for her anless words had touched their heans.
� The King's pity was stirred, and he said to her,
� "Arise, my daughter ! Turn now aside, while I com
mand what shall be done for thee. Sit awhile and rest, and
when thou art refreshed I will bring fonh thy judgment
to the light."
! And King Solomon commanded his servants to bring
for her bread and wine, to restore her soul.
! i\1eanwhile there had come into the counyard of the
judgment hall three strangers, and with them were three
mules laden with three full sacks. And they desired to see
the face of the King of Israel.
! They were brought into the hall, and the King asked
them their desire. And the three strangers bowed them
selves down before the King with their faces to the
ground, and they said,
! "We are merchants, and we met together by chance.
We made a compact between ourselves and sailed together
151
in the one ship, and we bore with us our merchandise
bound up in sacks, wares of silver and gold, the work of
skilled craftsmen, choice stones and precious ornaments
and all the finest spices. While we were crossing the sea
there arose a great storm and it set the sea in a ferment so
that the ship was tossed about between the waves and
driven off its course. For a great space we wandered
through stormy seas and suffered with fortitude the waves
and billows of the tempest.
! "But one evening after we had been storm-tossed many
days, a breach was made in the ship's bottom, a hole some
two handbreadths wide, and the water burst violently into
the ship. Our calamity was the greater in that we could
find naught wherewith to block up the hole, whether clay
or mortar or wool or rags or aught else to staunch the in
flow. Though we tried to block it up with clothes stript
off our bodies, it availed nothing, for the flood was so
strong that it straightway pulled them away and dragged
them into the sea.
! "Meanwhile the ship was filling with water. Yet a little
while, and the flood would have overwhelmed us and the
depths swallowed us up. The terrors of death fell upon
us, and in our sore dread we lifted up our voices and cried
fo� help. But the tempest swamped the sound of our
voices.
! "Then were we in evil plight. We saw death face to
face, and our affliction was most grievous. We stood up
in the ship with the water up to our navels. With all our
might we called on the gods. \Ve vowed vows, every man
calling on his god and on the gods of every people and land
which we knew or whose name only we had heard - the
gods of Canaan, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of
Ammon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of Edom;
there was not a god on which we called not nor to which
we did not offer many vows.
I 52
! "But all our prayers and all our vows were in vain: the
storm abated not nor did the sea withhold its fury. But
when the water had reached even to our necks we re
membered of a sudden the God of Israel: and we called
on Him with all our might and made our vows, saying,
! '0 God of Israel, if now thou wilt but save us, all these
"
our goods will we give as a ransom for our lives! '

! "The vow was scarce gone fonh from our lips than the
tempest hurled a most mighty blow with one of its wings,
all but overwhelming the ship. Something dropped down
from the skies; it was like to a bundle, and of its own self
it fell like a plug into the hole, and it blocked it up.
! "And suddenly the storm slackened and ceased. The sea
became tranquil and smooth. We were saved !
! "Thus with our own eyes we have seen that for help in
trouble there is none like the God of Israel. We hastened
and made no delay: we rowed and brought our ship to
land and with all speed we are come to Jerusalem, the city
of your God, so that we may pay Him our vows, the ran
som of our souls, in their due time and in His Holy City
and in His Temple.
! "Let now the King command and all whatsoever we
have brought will we weigh out into the hand of him
whom the King shall appoint.
! "And may this offering be pleasing to your God. For
we are strangers from afar and know not how we may
find favour with Him or how we may worship Him. Yet
blessed be the name of your God even in this, that He hath
suffered us to come near and see His king and His anointed
one, face to face."
! King Solomon listened to their words from the first even
to the last. And when they made an end of speaking, he
asked,
f' Did ye see what was the bundle which blocked up the
hole ? "
153
! And they answered,
! "We did indeed see the bundle and we also examine'd it.
It was naught save a small and meagre bag of flour. It
amazeth us to know whence it can have come! It can only
be that God, in his great pity for us and to save our souls
from death, caused it to fall from on high. Lo! here is the
bundle. Look upon it, 0 King. We shall preserve it as a
memorial for ever."
! And they set down the bundle before the King.
! The King called the widow unto him and said,
! "Look now upon this: is it thy bundle ? "
! She recognised her bundle and her spirit revived, and she
said,
! "Of a truth it is the very bundle which the tempest
snatched from my hand. It is my bundle, and all that was
left of my flour ! "
! The King's face lightened and his eyes grew bright. He
turned to the three merchants and said,
! "Give your sacks to this woman: they are hers. She has
proved her right to them. In truth it was God who
wrought for you this great salvation, but this woman was
His messenger."
! And to the woman he said,
! "Take the sacks of silver and gold: they are thine, a
recompense from God in exchange for thy bundle. May
God's name be blessed for ever and throughout all ages!
For with one hand He taketh from the widow her only
bundle of flour to hurl it into the depth of the raging seas
and save three souls from death; and with the other hand
he requiteth her with three sacks of silver and gold, saved
from the depths of the sea, to comfort her heart and wipe
away her tears. May His great name be blessed for ever
and throughout all ages ! "
! But i n her piety the widow waved away the silver and
gold, saying,
1 54
! "Be it far from thy handmaid to take aught of the holy
things of God. For I am neither the wife of a priest nor the
daughter of priests: I am but a daughter of the common
people. I have no part in great matters and I have ever
lived by the labour of my hands. If it please God to grant
me labour such as I desire and sufficient for my sustenance,
I need no more. Spindle, needle and hook are the tools of
my craft: they have ever been my staff of bread, and with
them I shall lack nothing."
! The widow's words pleased the King and he com
manded that the sacks of silver and gold be brought by
number and weight to the treasury of the Temple. And
they were accounted a gift and a freewill offering from the
widow. And their price was expended on curtains for the
Temple.
! And the King commanded that the woman be given a
place in the Chamber of Hewn Stone among the pious and
godly women who weave the curtains of the Temple.
And she toiled with them in this holy labour and they
cherished her honourably all the days of her life.
! So the widow dwelt in the Chamber of Hewn Stone,
weaving curtains and working diligently day and night.
And the curtains woven by her hand and embroidered by
her fi ngers excelled in splendour and grace all that eye
had ever seen. Moreover they sent forth as it were a
gleaming light, for into their stitches the widow imparted
all the skill of her hands, the wisdom of her heart, the
purity of her spirit, and all her piety. And their name was
known in all Israel, according to the name of the widow;
and they were called,
! "The curtains of Zipporah the net-weaver."
155
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA
KING SOLO:\ION OXCE 1\lADE A GREAT FEAST IN HIS PALACE,
AND H E INVITED ALL THE KINGS O F THE EAST AND OF THE

'
WEST. AND WHEN THE KING S HEART WAS MERRY WITH
wine he commanded that music be piayed before him on

viols and cymbals and drums and harps; and great was the
joy and the pleasure in the King's palace.
! Then Solomon commanded that the birds of the air,
the wild beasts of the field, the creeping things of the earth,
and the demons and spirits should come and stand before
him in his palace in the sight of all the kings. And the
King's scribes summoned them all by their names accord
ing to their kind, and they assembled together from the
four corners of the earth and, with no man leading them,
156
they came by themselves to the palace of King Solomon.
! But when the hoopoe was sought for she could nowhere
be found. The King was very wroth. He gave the word
and the unruly bird was brought by force. He spake with
her harshly and would have punished her, but the hoopoe
begged for mercy, saying,
! "Oh, my lord the King, let not iniquity be laid to my
charge, for not in disobedience did I delay: I had wandered
in far regions to find whether in all the earth there was still
a nation or a kingdom which had not heard thy fame. And
in the regions of the east I came to a city in the land of Sheba
whose name is Kitor. The very dust of that city is gold, and
silver is plentiful as stones in the streets; the trees thereof
have been planted since the days of creation and are wa
tered by the streams of the Garden of Eden; and the people
thereof dwell in peace and security; in appearance they
are like sons of kings, with crowns on their heads.
! "Over them ruleth a woman, a woman exceedingly wise.
But the people of that land know not the God of truth, for
they worship the sun, and to the sun do they offer their
prayers.
! "And now, if it please the King, let him say the word
and I will bring before him this queen and her captains,
that they may see his glory and his majesty and become
his servants."
! And it seemed good in the sight of the King, and he com
manded his scribes and they wrote a letter to the queen and
tied it to the hoopoe's wings. So the hoopoe spread out
her wings and mounted up to heaven and sped to the land
of Sheba to the city of Kitor; and behind her flew a multi
tude of the birds of the air, a very great company.
! And it came to pass in the morning that the Queen of

Sheba arose from her sleep and came out to worship the
sun as her custom was day by day. And lo, flocks of birds
157
darkened the face of the sun, so that the queen marvelled
greatly, for never had the like of this happened before.
� While she still stood gazing, behold, a hoopoe carne
down and lifted up its wing before the queen. And the
queen saw a letter, and she untied it and read therein ac
cording to these words:
From me, Solomon the King.

Peace be to thee and to everyone of thy
captains !
Dost thou not know that God hath appointed me
king over the beasts of the field and over the fowls
of the air and over the fishes of the sea and over the
green things of the earth? Gazelles and harts run
before my chariot, and lions and tigers bear my
weapons; pine trees and cedars bend their heads
before me, and the standing corn in the field
boweth down before me; likewise over demons
and spirits hath God given me authority, and at all
times do they obey my command; and from the
four corners of the earth come all the kings to
salute me and kiss the dust of my feet.
� If, now, thou and thy captains will come before
me and salute me, then will I honour thee more
than all the kings which sit before me; but if ye
come not, I will command all my many and
mighty hosts to go forth against you, and they will
destroy you from off the face of the earth.
� And if ye ask, "What are my hosts ?", know,
then, that the warriors of my army are spirits and
demons which will choke you in your beds and
in your bed-chambers, and that my steeds are the
wild beasts which will destroy you in your cities,
and that my horsemen are the fowls of the air
which will devour the flesh from your bones !
158
! When the queen heard the words of this letter great
trembling seized her and she laid her hands on her raiment
and rent it.
! She gathered together all her wise men and her elders
and repeated to them the words of the letter.
� And the elders said,
! "We know not this King Solomon, and we will not do
him honour."
!But the queen gave no heed to their counsel. She sum
moned all her shipmasters and bade them load their ships
with much gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks
and sandal wood, and to send them to King Solomon.
! And from among the well born among her people she
chose out three thousand boys and three thousand girls,
all of them beautiful and goodly to look upon, all of like
stature and age, and all clothed in purple. And she put
them in ships to be taken to King Solomon.
! And in the care of the hoopoe she sent a letter to King
Solomon, saying:
From Kitor to Jerusalem is a journey of seven

years; but my strong desire to see thy face will give
me wings. Therefore at the end of three years thou
shalt see me standing before thee.
! And at the end of three years the queen came to Jerusa

lem; and with her was a very great army and camels
bearing spices and precious stones and jewels in abun
dance. And it was told to the King, and he sent to meet her
the captain of his host, Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada.
! Now Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was a mighty man
and goodly to look upon, and when he went forth at the
head of the warriors his appearance was like the fair rays
of dawn among the stars of the morning, or like a lily be
side rills of water.
1 59
� And when the Queen of Sheba saw him she supposed it
had been Solomon, and she made haste to alight from her
chariot to come to him. But Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada,
saw her error, and he saluted her and said,
� "Why hasteth my lady the queen to alight from her
chariot to come to me? I am but one of the least of the
King's servants."
� And the queen marvelled greatly at his comeliness and
splendour, and turning to her captains that followed after
her she spake in parable, saying,
Saw ye never the lion ?

Then gaze on his lair!
Saw ye never King Solomon ?
Then gaze on his servant!
� And Solomon heard that the queen was come, and he

went and sat in the palace of crystal which he had built.
And it came to pass that when the queen came in thither
she supposed that the floor of crystal had been water, and
she laid bare her legs and lifted the skirt of her garment.
And Solomon laughed.
� He stood up to meet her and he blessed her and wished
her well. He brought her into his palace and spake mer
rily with her. Seeing her beauty, he said,
� "If thou art wise as thou art fair, then there is none so
fair and wise as thou among all the women on the earth."
� And the Queen of Sheba said unto the King,
� "I have heard that thou art the wisest of all men. But
now, behold, I will put forth riddles before thee, and it
shall be that if thou canst find out my riddles I shall know
that none is so wise and clever as thou."
� "Put forth thy riddles."
� And she said:
1 6o
Its source is in dust:
It is liquid as water:
It gives light to the house.
What is it ?
' "Naphtha," answered the King.

' And she put forth another riddle:
A tempest passed over its head and

its hair:
It waved and it bowed and it bitter-
ly cried;
It gives joy to the bird,
It spells pain to the fish;
To the living 'tis mourning,
But 'tis glory to the dead.
What is it ?
' "Flax," answered the King.

' Again she tested him. She set before him the six thousand
boys and girls and divided them into two companies, and
she said,
' "Which of them are the boys and which the girls ? "
' And the King looked upon them until he felt ashamed,
for he knew not how to distinguish between them: in
nothing did they differ, whether in form or stature or
voice or raiment.
' So the King acted craftily. He commanded that sweet
meats, nuts and dates be distributed among them. Some
of them gathered up the sweetmeats into the skin of their
garments, but others were too modest to do the like and
tied them up in their kerchiefs.
161
� "They that put the sweetmeats in the skirts of their
garments are boys, and they that were too modest to do
so are girls."
� And as the King said, so it was.
� The Queen of Sheba continued to test him with yet
harder and darker riddles and parables, and Solomon an
swered all her questions with wisdom and with great un
derstanding: nothing was hidden from him.
� Then said the Queen of Sheba,
� "I believed not the fame of thy wisdom until I should
come and see with mine eyes: and, behold, the half was
not told me. Happy are thy servants and happy are thy
people, for that God hath given to them so wise and great
a king as thou ! "
� And Solomon brought her to his palace and made for
her a great feast and rejoiced with her many days. Then
he bestowed gifts upon her and upon her servants and
sent her away in peace and with honour.
SOLOMON AND BALKIS
AND THESE ARE THE THINGS WHICH THE PEOPLE OF
ARABIA TELL CONCERNING SOLOMON:
� I T CAME TO PASS AFTER THE PROPHET SOLOMON SON OF

David had made an end of building the Temple, that he
longed to wander to and fro in the eanh and to travel all
around it. So he rose up and sat on his flying cloak. And
he took with him men and demons and spirits and every
kind of wild beast and bird, a very great company whose
ranks were a hundred leagues in length. He commanded
a light wind and it bore them on high, while the birds
flew beside them to minister to them on the journey.
� Among the birds the hoopoc went also, to seck out water
in the wilderness in the place where they should encamp,
for the hoopoe's eyes could perceive water within the
bowels of the earth as a man can see through glass.
1 63
� Now whenever the company encamped in any place a
company of winged creatures used to stay hovering above
the heads of Solomon and his people to give them shelter
from the burning heat of the sun, while the hoopoe went
out to seek for water; and when she found it she would
return and tell Solomon. Thus was her custom on the
journey continually.
� And it came to pass after many days that in his journey
ing Solomon came to the land of Ternan, and there he saw
a land fair and fertile, a land laden with all manner of green
things. And the place was pleasing in his sight and he came
down at noontime, he and all his company, and they
made their camp there on the fresh grass.
� Now there was no water in that place, and the hoopoe
said in her heart,
� "While the King and his company are spreading their
tents I can fly away to find water and return."
� So she spread her wings and rose up in the sky, and,
looking hither and thither, she beheld a green garden on
the ground below. She swooped down into the garden
among the herbage, and came upon another hoopoe which
lived in that country.
� For a moment the two birds held their peace and looked
upon one another in surprise. Then the Temanite hoopoe
opened her mouth and said to the stranger,
� "What is thy name, my friend ? Whence comest thou
and whither goest thou ? "
� The hoopoe o f Solomon answered,
� "Yaapurah is my name. I am come from the camp of
Solomon son of David."
� "This Solomon son of David, who is he? " said the
Temanite.
� "Surely," Yaapurah answered, "it is that same Solomon
who ruleth over all the earth and over the demons and
�pirits and over the wild beasts and birds, who ruleth also
1 64
over the dry land and over the sea and over the four winds
of heaven. And thou, my sister, who art thou and what
is thy name? "
� "Afairah is my name. I live in this country."
� "And who is the king thereof? "
� "A woman ruleth over us."
� "And what is her name? "
� "Her name is Balkis," answered Afairah, "and though
thy master's kingdom is great and mighty, it surpasseth not
her kingdom. To her belongeth all the land of Teman.
Her army is great and exceedingly mighty, with twelve
thousand captains and a hundred thousand men of war to
every captain. Wilt thou go with me to look upon her
kingdom ? "
� But Yaapurah answered,
� "I fear that if I delay the King will be ·wroth with me
when he asketh for water and findeth it not."
� "Fear not! " said the Temanite hoopoe. "Rather will thy
master rejoice when thou bringest him tidings of this
queen and her country."
� So Yaapurah was cajoled and flew after the Temanite
hoopoe and came to the country of Balkis.
� Now when Solomon and his men had made an end of

spreading their tents, and the time drew near for the eve
ning prayer, Solomon sought for water to wash his hands
and he could find none. Moreover the people and the
cattle thirsted for water, and there was a great outcry in
the camp. And Solomon lifted up his eyes to the birds
which hovered above his head and lo, there was a gap in
their ranks, for the hoopoe was missing from her place.
� Solomon summoned the eagle, the captain of the birds,
and inquired of him concerning the hoopoe, and the eagle
answered,
! "God give the King an answer of peace! I neither know
where she went nor where she is, nor did I send her any
where."
! And the King was very wroth and said,
! "As God liveth! I will surely punish her or slay her, if
she cannot justify herself before me."
! So he summoned the cormorant and said to him,
! "Fetch me the hoopoe at once! "
' The cormorant rose up to the sky and looked all over
the earth as a man looketh at a dish in front of him. While
he yet looked hither and thither, lo, from the direction of
Ternan came the hoopoe.
! And he swooped down upon her and would have seized
her in his claws, but the hoopoe appealed to him saying,
' "By God, who strengthened thee and made thee
mightier than I, I adjure thee that thou attack me not nor
do me hurt."
! And the cormorant let her alone, but he said,
' "Woe betide thee! Thy mother hath borne thee for
naught! The King is enraged against thee and hath even
sworn to punish thee or slay thee."
! And they flew both together and their faces were turned
towards Solomon.
! When they reached the companies of the birds, the
eagle and the other winged creatures met them and said
to the hoopoe,
! "Where hast thou been ? "
' And they told her how the King had sworn in his rage
to punish her with the direst punishment.
! And the hoopoe trembled greatly and said,
! "Is the evil indeed determined against me by the Prophet
of God ? "
! And they said,
! "Thus spake the Prophet of God: 'If she cannot j ustify
herself before me.' "
1 66
� "Then," said the hoopoe, "I am saved ! "
� S o they two, the cormorant and the hoopoe, came down
before Solomon who was sitting on his throne.
� The cormorant said,
� "Behold, 0 Prophet of God, I have brought her before
thee."
� And the hoopoe drew near in fear and trembling, with
bowed head and drooping wings and tail. She stood still,
humbled and ashamed.
� And King Solomon seized her by the crest on her head
and pulled her towards him, saying,
� "Where hast thou been? Tell me, lest I straightway slay
thee."
� And the hoopoe said unto him,
� "Remember, 0 Prophet of God, that thou standest be
fore the mighty and most high God ! "
� When the King heard these words his anger abated, and
he said,
� "Then tell me where thou hast been and why thou hast
delayed thy return? "
� And the hoopoe said,
� "0 Prophet of God! I indeed went out to seek for water.
But as I flew high in the heavens a new country was re
vealed to me, a country which thou knowest not. It is the
country of Sheba. So I thought, I will go thither and pass
through it and search it out and examine it, so that I may
tell my master such things as shall be made known to me.
And this is what I found.
� "It is a great and wide country, blessed by God. It lack
eth nothing. The ruler thereof is a woman, and she hath a
great and most wonderful throne. But the queen of that
country and her people know not God. They worship the
sun when it riseth and when it setteth. Thus have I heard
or seen, and this do I declare unto my lord the King."
� "Come, I will see whether the words of thy mouth are
truth or whether thou hast spoken lies."
� And the King commanded a letter to be prepared for
the Queen of Sheba.
� Meanwhile the hoopoe went out and showed the people
of Solomon a spring of water which she had espied at the
bottom of a valley. And the demons and spirits digged in
the valley and discovered water. So the men and the cattle
drank thereof and satisfied their thirst.
� And one of the King's scribes wrote out the letter in
these words:
From the servant of God, Solomon son

of David.
Unto llalkis, Queen of Sheba.
In the name of God the Compassionate.
Peace to them that walk uprightly.
� My mouth ordaineth that ye come
everyone of you before me and that
ye ascribe honour to God.
� And Solomon scented the letter with musk and sealed it

wit� his seal. And he gave it into the mouth of the hoopoe,
saymg,
� "Fly with this letter to the Queen of Sheba. And, when
thou hast given it into her hand, go aside and stand where
thou mayest hear what she and her people shall say, and
bring me word of their answers."
� And the hoopoe said,
� "What the King hath commanded that will I do."
� The hoopoe took the letter and after a flight of three
days reached the land of Sheba early one morning and
alighted on the roof of the queen's palace. The palace was
1 68
still tightly shut up, for the queen had not yet awakened
from sleep. Now in the queen's bed-chamber was an open
window in the roof above her couch, and when the sun
arose and its light entered through the window and fell
upon the queen's face, she awoke and worshipped the sun.
Such was the way of the queen every morning.
� And the hoopoe carne and spread its wings over the
window, shutting out the light. Below lay the queen in an
ivory bed covered with silk. Her eyelids were closed in
morning slumber and her face turned upwards. And the
sun arose but the queen knew it not. The hoopoe dropp�d
the letter from its beak and it fell upon the queen's neck.
Balkis awoke, trembling.
� She opened the letter and smelt the sweet savour; but
when she had seen what was written therein and the seal
of Solomon, she shuddered and lowered her head to the
ground, saying,
' "Truly, a king whose messengers are the birds of the
air must be a most great and powerful king, and his king
dom mightier than my kingdom."
� And the hoopoe went aside and stood by itself apan to
see what would befall.
� Then the queen arose. She went and sat on her royal
throne and hastily assembled the wisest among her cap
tains to take counsel with them. Now it was the queen's
custom to speak with her captains through her veil; but
when any matter greatly distressed her she would reveal
her face to them.
� And it came to pass that when the captains entered, she
uncovered her face, and she told them all the words of
the letter; and she said,
� "Ah! my captains and my chosen servants! Advise me,
I pray, and instruct me what I shall do, for naught have
I determined until ye should come together unto me."
� And the captains answered her, saying,
169
� "With us is strength and might for battle! Thy pan it
is to command! Command, we pray, and none will with
stand thee."
� And Balkis said,
� "This is the counsel which I offer. I will send Solomon
a gift by the hand of my messenger. And it shall be that
if he is but a king, he will take the gift and beset us no
more; whereas if he be indeed a Prophet he will spurn our
gift and will not desist from us until we come before him
and call upon the name of his God."
� And the queen's advice seemed good in the sight of the
captains, and they said,
� "Do as thou hast said, and may the queen live for ever! "
� So Balkis chose five hundred boys and five hundred girls,
and the girls she clothed in men's apparel-surcoats and
girdle; and the boys she clothed in women's dress, putting
bracelets of gold about their hands, and chains of gold
about their necks, and, in their ears, rings and circlets set
with precious stones. The girls she made to ride on horses
and the boys on camels, with a golden saddle to every
horse and to every camel a golden cushion, all encrusted
with precious stones and covered with embroidered work.
� And in the hands of the boys and the girls she put five
hundred bricks of pure silver and five hundred bricks of
pure gold, and a great diadem of gold encrusted with
corals and amber to be offered unto Solomon, together
with musk and ambergris and aloes and ebony wood.
' Moreover she took a casket and set therein a perfect
pearl, exceedingly rare, wherein was no flaw; and she put
in also a pierced and twisted oyster-shell. She closed it up
and gave it into the hands of great and honourable cap
tains, men of knowledge and understanding, to bring it
unto Solomon.
� � nd by the hand of her messengers she sent him a letter,
saymg:
1 70
� If thou an indeed a Prophet of God, distinguish,
I pray, between the boys and the girls! And say,
moreover, what is in this casket before thou open
est it.
� Afterwards, through the pearl bore a hole all
straight and even and pass a thread through the
hole of the oyster shell, but without the help of
man or demon.
� And Balkis commanded the boys and the girls, saying,

� "When ye speak unto King Solomon change ye your
voices: let the boys speak in a voice thin and soft like the
voice of a woman, and let the girls speak with a voice harsh
and thick like the voice of a man."
� And the chief of the boys she commanded, saying,
� "When thou comest before Solomon, look upon him
closely: if he cast on thee an eye of displeasure, fear him
not nor be afraid, for it is a sign that he is but a king and no
mightier than I. But if he be merry and pleasing to look
upon, know then, that he is a Prophet of God, and pay
him the honour due to him."
� So the men took the gifts and all the wealth and went
their way.
� Now the hoopoe knew everything that had been done

and went back and told it to the King.
� Before the messengers of Balkis could reach him Sol
omon gave the word and his smiths prepared for him
bricks of silver and bricks of gold in exceeding abundance,
and with the bricks they paved a road nine leagues long
from the place of the King's dwelling and outwards, the
road by which the messengers of Balkis would come to
appear before Solomon. Moreover the King commanded
that they build rwo high walls of gold on either side of the
road. And an end was made of the work.
I]I
! Then said the King unto his wise men,
! "Which is the goodliest horse which ye have ever seen
on land or sea? "
! "Oh, Prophet of God, in a certain sea we found a horse
of many colours, having wings, and a crest, and a diadem
of hair on its head."
! And Solomon said,
! "Fetch it to me at once ! "
! So they brought him the horse. And he said,
! "Tether it at the entrance of the paved road, on the right
hand side, and set fodder before it."
! And the servants of Solomon did so.
! Then Solomon sat on his throne, and he commanded
that they put four thousand seats on his right hand and the
like number on his left hand. And he commanded the
demons and the spirits and they stood in rows a league in
length, on either side of the paved way. Behind them
stood Solomon's soldiers, and, behind them, the wild
beasts and the creeping things and the birds, two rows of
every kind on the right of the paved way and on the left;
each one league in length.
! So an end was made of this great preparation, and they
all stood, every one in his own company, awaiting the
coming of the messengers from Sheba.
! Now when the messengers drew near to the entrance of

the paved way they beheld the riches of Solomon and his
great might, and they fell greatly in their own sight and
no courage remained in them.
! They lifted up their eyes and beheld, standing in the
entrance of the paved way, a wonderful horse, whose like
they had never before seen, tethered to a pillar of silver
by a halter of gold and blue thread; and its droppings fell
1 72
upon the bricks of gold and silver wherewith the road
was paved; so that the gifts which they brought from the
Queen of Sheba seemed to them of no value; and they cast
on the ground all the gifts which had been prepared for
the King and took with them nothing.
� They entered in between two walls and passed between
the rows on either side and, when they saw the companies
of the demons and spirits, great shuddering fell upon them
and their eyes bulged in their sockets.
� But a voice came to their ears, saying,
� "Go on, fear not! "
� So they went on between the rows of demons and spirits
and soldiers and wild beasts and creeping things and birds,
until they came and stood still before Solomon.
� And die King made his face to shine upon them, and
he said,
� "What is it that followeth after you?"
� And the chief of the messengers bowed down to the
ground before the King and answered,
� "It is a gift sent to our lord the King from our lady the
Queen of Sheba: would that it were acceptable in thy
sight! "
� And he gave to Solomon the letter of the queen.
� And it came to pass that after Solomon had read the
letter, he asked,
� "And where is the casket ? "
� They brought to him the casket. Solomon took i t and
shook it to and fro and put his ear to it, and an angel from
God came and revealed to the ear of Solomon what was in
the casket.
� "In the casket is a perfect and unpierced pearl, and an
oyster shell pie-':ced crookedly."
� And the chief of the messengers said,
� "Thy word is truth. Yct canst thou also, without the
1 73
aid of any hand, pierce the pearl and pass a thread through
the hole of the oyster shell ? "
! And Solomon lifted up the pearl in the sight of them
that stood by and asked,
! "Who can pierce it without hand's aid?"
' He asked the soldiers and the demons, but they did not
know.
! He asked the spirits. They said to him,
! "The moth-grub will pierce it! "
! So they brought the moth-grub. It took a thin hair in
its mouth and entered the pearl from the one side and
passed through and came out on the other side.
! And Solomon saw the beauty of its work and praised it,
and said,
' "Name whatsoever hire thou desirest, 0 thou moth
grub, and I will give it to thee."
� The moth-grub answered,
! "Command, I pray, that the wood of the tree be ever
my sustenance."
! "Thy request is granted."
! The King then took the oyster-shell and said,
! "Who can pass a thread through this hole without
hand's aid ? "
! The white worm answered a n d said,
� "0 Prophet of God, I will pass it through."
! The worm took the thread in its mouth and crawled and
passed through the crooked hole in the shell and came out
at the other side.
! And Solomon said to it,
! "Ask what I shall give thee as thy hire? "
� The worm answered,
! "Command, I pray, that the fruit of the tree be ever my
sustenance."
1 74
� "It shall be done as thou desirest."
� Then King Solomon set apart the boys from the girls.
By his wisdom he did this. He commanded that water be
brought before them to wash. And so it was that every
girl poured the water from the vessel into one hand and
from thence over the other hand, and then she washed her
face, as is the habit among girls; whereas every boy took
water from the vessel into his two hands and so rinsed his
face.
� And thus did Solomon distinguish between them.
� And Solomon gave back all the gifts which the mes
sengers had brought to him, and he said to them,
� "Did ye think to buy my hean with gifts of man's mak
ing? Enough for me is that which God hath graciously
bestowed. What can ye add more? Riches and honour
and kingship hath God given to me and made me ruler
over all the eanh. And this was but a light thing in His
sight: in His mercy He hath conferred on me also the
spirit of wisdom and prophecy.
� "Return, therefore, unto your own land and unto your
brethren, and say to them, Thus said Solomon: Hasten
every one of you and come and take refuge under the
wings of the God of truth. But if ye will not come I will
send against you all my soldiery, and they will destroy
you from off the face of the earth, for none can withstand
them."
� So the messengers went out from the presence of Sol
omon and returned to their own land.
� They came to Balkis and told her all the words of Sol
omon and all his glorious splendour.
� And the queen hearkened, and she said,
� "I swear by God that this man is not a king only, but
he is also a Prophet of God; and it is not in us to prevail
against him."
1 75
! And she sent word to Solomon, saying,
! I have hearkened to thy words. Moreover I and

my captains will come unto thee that we may see
how great is thy power, and who that God is
which hath given thee such power.
! Now before she set fonh on her journey she bade her
servants hide her great and wondrous throne in an inner
most chamber behind seven gates. And every gate she shut
up tightly, setting guards over them to keep diligent
watch over the throne; and the keys of the gates she
concealed with her. And the second to her in rank who
should fill her place while she was gone, him did she com
mand, saying,
! "Keep thine eyes alen to watch over the region round
about the palace and my royal throne; and at peril of thy
life suffer none to approach the throne or look upon it."
! A herald went forth in the queen's name proclaiming in
the gates the news of her journey; and many people came
to bless her and to bid her farewell. And she took the
twelve thousand captains of her army, with a hundred
thousand men of war to every captain, and set forth on
her j ourney.
! Now the dread of Solomon lay heavy upon all the

regions round about, and none of his captains raised hand
or foot except at the King's command.
! One day when King Solomon sat on his royal throne
he lifted up his eyes and saw a cloud of dust drawing near,
and he said,
! "What is this? "
! And his servants answered,
! "0 Prophet of God, it is Balkis and her company."
176
! He said,
! "Is a camp made ready for them near to us here?"
! "It is according to thy words, 0 King ! "
� Then Solomon drew near to his troops and said,
! "0 chosen of God and sons of might, which of you
will go to Sheba and fetch me the throne of Balkis before
she and her people can reach us to worship our God?"
! And one of the demons answered,
! "I will go! And before thou shalt rise from thy throne
whereon thou sittest to judge the people, I will fetch the
throne of Balkis and set it before thee. Let the King be
assured that I have strength enough to bear it."
! But Solomon said,
! "Nay! One lighter and swifter than thou must fetch it."
! Then one that was learned in God's ways, whose name
was Asaf, answered and said,
! "I will fetch it before the King can turn his eyes! Do
but lift up thine eyes, 0 King, and look well about thee."
! The King lifted up his eyes and looked before him over
the land of Ternan, and Asaf fell with his face to the earth
and cried,
! "In the name of the most mighty God! "
� And God sent his angels who bore the throne beneath
the earth through runnels which they digged; and sud
denly the earth opened and the throne came out and stood
before Solomon.
! When Solomon saw it he said,
! "Who can recount God's mighty works! It can only
be that God thought to prove me, whether or not I would
perceive the kindness which he sheweth towards me! "
! And to his servants he said,
! "Alter quickly the throne's appearance: add to it and
take away from it; change the se\·eral parts thereof, put
ting the upper parts below and the lower parts above.
1 77
When Balkis is come hither we will try her, whether she
can recognise her own throne or not."
! This did Solomon ordain to make trial of her wisdom
and her good understanding. And the craftsmen did as
Solomon commanded them.
! Then Solomon commanded the spirits and they built
him a palace paved throughout with glass, and beneath
the glass they made a stream of water, and in the midst
of the water were fishes swimming. And Solomon came
and sat on his throne in the midst of the palace of glass.
! And it came to pass that when Balkis came and the
servants of Solomon showed her the throne and asked her,
"Is thy throne the like of this?", she answered, "It is such
a one as this." For the queen answered warily, not alto
gether assenting and not altogether denying. And all per
ceived her wisdom and her good understanding, for she
recognized her throne although she had shut it up in her
palace within seven gates and had brought the keys with
her.
! And the servants of Solomon brought Balkis into the
palace of glass. And she saw the flowing water and fishes
swimming beneath the pavement. And she supposed that
it was a river and she lifted high the skins of her garment
to pass through the water.
! And Solomon beheld the beauty of her body, and he
turned away his eyes from her.
! And he said,
� "It is but a pavement of glass: there is no water. Enter,
0 queen! "
! And the queen entered the palace.
! After she had sat down she said,
! "Come, I would ask thee something, 0 Solomon ! "
! And he said,
! "Ask ! "
! And she said,
What frotheth and floweth like water
Yet from eanh or from sky doth not corr;e?
! Now when anything came before Solomon which he

did not know, his custom was to ask first his servants
whether, perchance, they knew; and if they knew it not
he asked the demons; and if the demons knew it not he
asked the spirits. This time, that his answer be not delayed,
he first asked the spirits.
! And they said to him secretly,
! "Nothing is easier! Make thy horses run until they
weary; then fi ll thy vessels with their sweat."
! And the King did so. He ordered that his strongest
horses be made to run until their skin gave out sweat,
white like the froth of soap.
! And he squeezed out a bowlful of the sweat and brought
it to the queen, saying,
! "Behold the liquid whereof thou didst speak! "
! And Balkis said,
! "Truly thou hast found out my riddle."
! And she tried him with still other riddles, and he an
swered her all her questions with wisdom and understand
ing: nothing was hidden from him.
! Then Balkis knew that he was indeed a Prophet of God,
and from that day forth she clave to the God of truth and
worshipped Him with all her soul and with all her bean.
! And Solomon made a covenant with her and sent her
away again with great honour unto her own land.
1 79
ASi\IODEUS, Kll\'G OF THE DEMONS
WHEN KING SOLO:\lON WAS l\!INDED TO BUILD THE HOUSE
O F GOD, liE GATHERED TOGETHER THE ELDERS O F THE
PEOPLE AND T i l E WISE 1\!EN, AND HE SAID UNTO THEM,
� "Behold, I have brought hither great and costly stones

\\·herc\\·ith to build foundations for the Temple of our
God. 1\' ow, therefore, teach me how can I fashion the
stones that they shall be smooth and straight; for God
hath decreed by the mouth of Moses, saying, Thou shalt
lift up no iron tool upon them."
� And the elders answered,
� "\Vc ha \·e heard that there is in the \\·orld a wondrous
creature named the Shamir. God created it at twilight on
the e\·c of the first Sabbath with other \\·onders �f His
handi\\·ork. The Shamir is small as a grain of barley, yet
so great is its po\\·er that with a touch of its claw it can
1 8o
cleave rocks and cut through stones. Command, therefore,
that the Shamir be brought, and if thou but pass it over
the stones they will forthwith split and be shaped and
made smooth after whatsoever fashion thou desirest. Did
not Bezaleel use it in like manner for the stones of the
breastplate ? "
� "But where can the Shamir be found? " asked the King.
� "We, too, do not know," answered the elders. "Per
chance the demons will know."
� The King summoned the demons without delay and
asked them,
� "Where is the Shamir?"
� "We, too, do not know," they answered.
! "Perchance Asmodeus our king will know."
! "And where can Asmodeus be found? "
! And the demons answered,
� "Behold, he dwelleth in one of the mountains of dark
ness. There in the mountain he hath a well of water which
he made with his own hands and covered with a great stone
which he sealed with his own seal. And every day, when
he returneth from going to and fro in the eanh or from
standing among the divine creatures in heaven, he cometh
to drink of the well, first examining the seal to know
whether any hand hath touched it. Then he taketh away
the stone and satisfierh his thirst. Then he covereth the
well once more and sealeth it and goeth on his way and
to his labour. Such is his custom continually."
! Solomon summoned the faithful captain of his host,
Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and gave into his hand iron
fetters whereon the Secret Name of God was inscribed,
and the Sacred Seal whereon also the Secret Name was
inscribed. Moreover he gave to him fleeces of wool and
bottles of wine, and he taught him what he should do.
! And he sent him away to fetch Asmodcus.
� And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went his way and
181
came to the mountain. There he found the sealed well of
which the demons had spoken.
� He saw that Asmodeus was not yet there, so he acted
cunningly. He dug a pit on the mountain slope below the
well of Asmodeus and bored a hole between them so that
all the water flowed into the lower pit. Then he blocked
up the hole between them with fleeces of wool. He dug
yet another pit higher than the well of Asmodeus and
bored a hole between them, and from this pit he filled the
well with wine. Then he filled up again the two pits with
the eanh which he had taken from them, so that their
place could no more be seen.
� And when he had accomplished his purpose he climbed
into a tree near by and hid himself among the branches.
� While he sat looking out from the tree, behold, Asmo
deus came, climbing up the mountain from the way that
leadeth into the wilderness. His appearance was very ter
rible: his feet were like the feet of a cock, and his beard
was like the beard of a he-goat, and a devouring fire came
forth from his nostrils.
� Bcnaiah trembled and was greatly afraid, but he put his
trust in the Secret Name of God which was in his hand
and took courage. He sat in hiding in the coven and
waited for what might befall.
� Asmodeus came to the well. He saw that the seal was
untouched in every pan and he took it off and rolled
away the stone and bent down to drink - and lo, instead
of \�ater red wine was in the well.
� Asmodeus was angry, and he said,
Win� is a mocker, strong drink is rag

mg,
Whoso drinketh twice thereof lacketh
understanding.
182
! So he restrained himself and did not drink, but sat upon
the stone, vexed and ill-tempered, gnashing his teeth and
groaning, unable to rest and goading himself into fury.
! But when he grew still more thirsty and could no more
restrain himself, he drank of the wine until none was left.
He became drunken and fell to the ground in a stupor.
The mountain shook from the noise of his snoring, and the
tree wherein Benaiah was sitting shook like a reed.
� Then Benaiah climbed down from the tree and cast the
fetters over Asmodeus and bound him.
� When Asmodeus awoke and aroused himself, behold,
fetters bound his hands. He rocked himself about in his
rage and tried to break off the fetters.
� And Benaiah cried out against him,
� "I adjure thee by the Name of the Lord ! "
� Then Asmodeus turned submissive and, bound in fetters,
quietly followed after Benaiah.
� And it came to pass that as they went on their way they
passed a palm tree. Asmodeus scraped against it and
knocked it down.
! They came to a great and fine house. Asmodeus pushed
his foot against it and overthrew it.
� Asmodeus passed a little tent belonging to a poor widow,
and he would have kicked this also, but the widow came
out and she wept and begged him to have pity; so he turned
aside from the tent and did not touch it; but as he turned
aside he wrenched a bone in his foot, and he limped and
said,
� "Verily the words of the proverb are true:
A soft tongue brcaketh a bone."
! When Asmodeus had gone a little farther he saw a blind

man who had strayed off the road, and he turned him
into his right way.
� Again he saw a drunken man going astray, and him. too,
he turned into his right way.
� He saw the rejoicing at a wedding feast; and he wept.
� He heard a man speaking to a cobbler and saying, "Make
me stout shoes, such as shall serve me seven years"; and he
laughed.
� He saw a magician standing in a crowd, telling fortunes;
and he laughed.
� And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, saw the ways of As
modeus and they were more than he could un.derstand.
p
But he held his eace and kept all these things in his heart.
� They came up to Jerusalem and Asmodeus was brought
before the King. And Asmodeus took a reed, measured
off four cubits, and cast it at the feet of the King.
� "What is this?"
!f And Asmodeus answered,
� "A plot of land four cubits long, such is the lot of every
man at his latter end; and as for thee, was it so small a thing
to subdue the whole earth that thou must subdue me also? "
� "I seck naught of thee save the Shamir. Tell me where
it is and I will set thee free."
� And Asmodeus answered,
� "The Shamir is not with me but with Rahab, prince of
the sea, who hath entrusted it to the hoopoe, for the
hoopoe is a true and faithful guardian."
� "And what doth the hoopoe do with the Shamir? " asked
Solomon.
� "With the Shamir's help the hoopoe transformeth the
bare rocks of the wilderness into the fairest gardens. And
thus doth she do:
� "She taketh the Shamir and leaveth it on the top of a
rock; and the rock splittcth beneath the Shamir. Then the
hoopoe bringeth in her beak seeds of every kind of tree,
1 84
dropping them into the new clefts of the rocks, and the
seed striketh root and becometh a tree after its kind. Little
by little the bare rocks are made fruitful and after many
days parched land is transformed into a flourishing forest.
,Therefore also is the hoopoe called Naggar-tur, or the
Rock Anificer."
! So Solomon chose him mighty warriors and skilful
huntsmen and sent them into the wilderness to fetch the
Shamir.
! And they went and, on the sharp crest of a crag, they
found a hoopoe's nest. In it were nestlings, but the mother
bird was not there.
! The huntsmen took counsel together and they covered
the top of the nest with a plate of glass.
! When the mother-bird came back and saw her nestlings
through the glass yet could not enter into the nest, she
pecked at the glass from without and her nestlings pecked
from within, but they could not break through. The glass
had shut them in.
! Then the hoopoe rose up and flew away out of sight.
! When she came back she bore the Shamir in her beak.
She laid the Shamir on the glass to split it, but one of the
huntsmen rose up from his hiding place and hurled a peb
ble at her. The Shamir fell from her mouth, and they came
and took it and went their way.
! And when the hoopoe saw that she had failed in her trust
she went and hanged herself.
! Now Asmodeus was yet kept in bonds in the King's

house.
! And Benaiah remembered the doings of Asmodeus and
his strange acts on the journey, so he inquired concerning
them, and said,
185
! "Why didst thou tum the blind man into his right
way?"
! "Because," Asmodeus answered, "I knew that it was
said in heaven of that blind man that he was altogether
righteous and that whosoever had pity on him, even but
a little, would be accounted wonhy of eternal life."
! And Benaiah asked again,
! "And that drunken man that went astray - why didst
thou turn him into his right way?"
! "Because I knew that he had committed monal sin, and,
I thought, Let me do him a little kindness, so that he may
at least have some pleasure in tbis life."
! "And why didst thou weep atthe sight of the wedding? "
! "I knew that before thirty days the bridegroom would
surely die, and that the tender and delicate bride must long
remain widowed and desolate in her father's house."
! "And why didst thou laugh when the man talked with
the cobbler? "
! "Because though that man could not live seven years
more, he yet demanded shoes that should serve him seven
years."
! "And why didst thou laugh at the magician who was
telling fonunes? "
! "Because beneath the ground where that magician sat
was a hidden store of gold; and though he foretold far
off things he could not even guess what lay beneath him! "
! Now Solomon kept Asmodeus i n his power until an

end was made of building the House of God. And it came
to pass on a day when they two were alone in the house
that Solomon said to the king of the demons,
! "Tell me, I pray, wherein the might of demons excelleth
the might of men."
1 86
! Asmodeus answered,
! "If thou wilt but unlock these fetters and give me thy
seal, I will tell thee."
! And King Solomon did what Asmodeus asked of him.
! No sooner had the Sacred Ring come into the hand of
Asmodeus than he swallowed it. Then he rose up against
Solomon and lifted him off his feet, and, planting one
wing on the ground and the other wing against the solid
sky, he twisted himself so vigorously that he hurled Sol
omon to a distance of four hundred leagues, throwing
him far, far away from Jerusalem into another country.
! Then Asmodeus went up into the inner chambers of the
King, put on the royal garments, and changed his face into
the face of Solomon. And he sat on the throne in place of
the King and judged the people.
! And no man knew it.
! Asmodeus vomited up the ring whereon was inscribed
the Sacred Name and threw it way into the sea, for he said,
! "Let it never again come into the hands of men, lest my
secret be found out."
! Now Solomon fell down into a field in a foreign coun

try, and when he stood up again he was like a man stupe
fied with wine, for he could not tell where he was, or
where he was going, or what he was doing. Moreover he
was very thirsty, and he searched until he found a pool of
water, and it came to pass that when he bent down to
drink he saw his reflection in the water and, behold, the
light of his countenance was gone from him, royal majesty
was his no more, and even his stature had grown less. He
looked more closely, and lo, even the furrow around his
head had disappeared, the furrow which testified of his
kingship, the mark made by the crown where it had rested,
a mark which appeared on the heads of all who bore the
crown of the house of David.
1 87
! Then Solomon knew what it was that God had done to
him, and he smote his hands together and cried,
! "Woe is me! For God hath turned away his mercy from
me and hath driven me from his inheritance."
! He fell to the ground and wallowed in the dust; and all
that day he cried unto God with a loud voice.
! And when the sun went down he set a stone for his
pillow and lay down in sorrow and slept.
! And he dreamed a dream, and, behold, he was journey
ing between mountains of silver and mountains of gold,
and in the mountains were many vents, and he heard and
lo, croaking voices burst out from the bowels of the
mountains; and he turned aside to look through the vents,
but suddenly out of the vents there leapt upon him foun
tains of blood, and it was as though red tongues were sent
out against him to lick him up.
! And Solomon awoke, trembling. And, behold, it was
a dream.
! And he slept and dreamed yet again, and, behold,
chariots of horses, without number and past finding out,
came from among the mountains of silver and gold, and he
himself and his captains were within the chariots. And
the horses were the very glory of Arabia and the desire of
Egypt, fleet and agile, thin-legged, with arched necks and
flowing manes; their breath was a stream of fire and their
coursing a whirlwind in the wilderness. And the horses
daned swiftly and swallowed the eanh; they bore up the
chariots in a whirlwind and were like flashes of lightning.
While they yet pursued their course, behold, a deep abyss
suddenly yawned before them; and the horses leapt up
from off the ground, and the chariots and all they that
sat therein went down into the abyss.
! And Solomon awoke.
! Again he slept, and he dreamed yet a third time, and
lo, he sat on a couch in the royal garden and the multitude
188
of his wives and concubines danced round about him. The
women were a mixed company, the daughters of many
peoples, various in appearance and colour: Hittites, Sidon
ians, Moabites, Edomites and Ethiopians, all of them the
choicest among the daughters of kings, perfect in beauty
and a delight to the eye. And the dance grew ever more
vigorous, encircling the King like a whirling wheel of
which the King was the hub; the very trees in the garden
and the fragrant flower-beds and the pools and fountains
and pavilions were all drawn into the encircling dance,
whirling round the King like wheels within wheels. The
dance was still at its height when, of a sudden, the King's
heart strayed, his head turned dizzy and he slipped off his
couch: the hub of the wheel was displaced and the wheel
shattered, and its fragments were scattered afar. The ring
of dancers was as though it had never been.
! Solomon awoke, trembling, and he slept no more.
! He pondered over the threefold dream and considered
his ways from the day when he first sat on his father's
throne.
! And he said,
! "Now know I why the Lord hath dealt thus witl1 me:
for he hath visited my three sins upon me - in that I have
multiplied to myself silver and gold, I have multiplied to
myself horses, and wives have I multiplied to myself. Of
a truth the Lord is righteous, for against his word have I
rebelled."
! And it came to pass in the morning that he arose and
cut himself an oaken staff, and he said,
I am Solomon !
King was I in Jerusalem !
Yet now this staff within my hand
Is all I have from all my toil.
What can man gain by all his
toil ?
1 89
� So Solomon wandered from one town to another, beg
ging his bread from door to door. His clothes wore out
and his shoes fell away in pieces; his feet became blisters
and in naught did he differ from the poorest beggar.
� Whenever any man looked on him and asked him who
he was and whence he came, he would answer and say,
I am Solomon !
� And everyone looked upon him as a madman. The com

passionate shook their heads at him and silly children
mocked him and ran after him with sticks and stones. Sol
omon was in very sore distress and in his misery he wished
he might die.
� After three years, when the years of wandering had

been fulfilled which the Lord had decreed against Sol
omon because of his three sins, a year for every sin, he
came by chance to the royal city in the land of the Am
monites.
� He went down to the market-place and there he stood
among the merchants and shops, thinking that, perchance,
God would find him work to do so that he might get as
hire his daily bread.
� While he stood there, lo, the king's cook came down to
the market-place to buy food to make ready for the king's
table. He saw the beggar and hired him to follow after
him and carry the food to the king's house. So Solomon
went with him, and when he took his burden into the
king's kitchen and the king's cook would have given him
his hire and sent him away, Solomon would not take i t ,
but he drew near and said,

� "If it please thee, sir, I am a sojourner and a stranger in
this city; so now, if it seem right in thy sight, let me stay
1 90
with thee and serve thee, and for my hire I ask naught
save my daily bread."
! The king's cook did as Solomon asked and took I1im
into his service, and Solomon stood before him in the
kitchen and helped him in all his tasks. And Solomon
watched diligently the tasks of the king's cook and all that
he did and learned to do the like-to boil and roast and
hash and make all manner of savoury dishes; and in his
skill he surpassed the king's cook, for God was with him
and blessed his handiwork.
! And there came a day when Solomon asked the king's
cook to allow him to prepare the king's food by himself.
And the king's cook consented also in this and suffered
him to do so. And Solomon laboured and prepared the
savoury dishes with skill and understanding according to
the good hand of God upon him.
! And it came to pass that when the king ate of the savoury
dishes they were most pleasing to him, and he said to his
cook,
! "Who prepared these savoury dishes, whose like thou
didst never set before me until this day ? "
! And the king's cook answered,
! "I will not keep it hidden from my lord the king that
it was not my hands which prepared them but one of my
servants, a stranger."
! So that day the king appointed Solomon to be his cook
instead of Solomon's master. And Solomon stood before
the king and served him and day by day brought the dishes
unto the king's table. And none knew his country or his
nation.
! Now the king of the Ammonites had an only daughter,
beautiful and comely to look upon and of good under
standing. And her name was Naamah.
! And the king's daughter saw the new cook that he was
a man to be desired and pleasing in all his ways, and her
1 91
heart turned to him and she loved him. And she declared
her feelings to her mother.
� But her mother rebuked her and said,
� "Is there no lack of kings' sons in neighbouring lands
that thou must turn thine eyes unto this foreign slave?
Shame on thee! "
� But the king's daughter was steadfast iu her love and
said,
� "Nay, but I love him and him have I chosen: keep him
from me and I would rather die than live! "
� The queen told the king, and the king's anger was
kindled against his daughter, and he spake to her harshly
and reviled her.
� When he saw that he prevailed not, he was minded to
put her to death, but his compassion was moved for his
only daughter. So he cast her out from his presence, both
her and her beloved, and sent them into the wilderness
by the hand of one of his eunuchs. And the eunuch left
them there in the wilderness, for he said,
� "Let me not behold their love or their death."
� And it came to pass after the two lovers had been for
saken in the wilderness that Solomon said to Naamah,
� "Go back, my daughter, to thy father's house and join
thyself to some king's son that i� worthy of thee. Why
for my sake shouldest thou perish in the wilderness, thou
that art delicately nurtured and tender and that hast never
known want? Go back, my daughter. And I, if I perish,
I perish! "
� But Naamah answered,
� "Nay! I will go with thee and suffer with thee, for with
out thee wherefore should I live ! "
� And she lifted u p her voice and wept.
� Solomon saw how strong was her love for him, and his
1 92
heart was stirred for her and he took her with him into
the wilderness. And he spent himself for her to keep her
from any misfortune by the way. When the hot east wind
wearied her he sheltered her with the skirts of his raiment;
and when they came to rough places he carried her in his
arms. Every moment did he watch over her. He trembled
in his care for her and was like one that beareth in his
bosom a rare and precious thing.
' Yet with all this he told her not who he was, for, said he,
' "Why should I seem to her as one that speaketh fool
ishness? "
' And it came to pass when hunger oppressed them, that
Solomon sought out a safe hiding place for Naamah and
took her thither while he went to find food.
' He turned here and there and in the sand he found men's
tracks, and, following them, he came to a place by the sea
shore where he saw fishermen drawing in their nets. He
bought a fish from them and ran and brought it to Naamah.
' He went out to gather wood wherewith to kindle a fire
while Naamah made ready the fish. And it came to pass
that when she split it, she found a ring in its belly; and
on the ring was a certain writing, but what it was she knew
not.
' She called to Solomon and said,
' "Sec what I have found! "
' He looked upon the ring and h e recognized it at once.
And he said,
' "Is not this the ring on which is inscribed the Secret
Name of God ? "
' And hardly was the ring restored into his hand than the
spirit of God came mightily upon him. The furrow made
by the crown appeared again round his head and his face
shone. Of a sudden his stature increased and royal majesty
rested on him. And he stood before Naamah like a flour
ishing cedar tree.
1 93
' While Naamah yet marvelled at this sight, Solomon
bowed down on his knees and spread out his hands to
heaven, and said,
' "I thank thee, 0 God, that thou hast taken pity on me."
' As he bowed himself down, Naamah saw his head and,
behold, a thin furrow, like a thread of scarlet, encircled
it like a diadem, and from the furrow went fonh rays,
shining like a wreath of glory.
' And she was strongly moved and cried,
' "What is this? "
' And Solomon rose up and stood upright to his full
height, and he said,
' "This is a testimony from God, borne by the sons of
David which wear the crown."
' Then Solomon told her who he was.
' J\1oreover he told her all that had befallen him, how that
he had been brought low these three years. He told her
also concerning the ring and its power.
' And when he had made an end, he said,
' "And now, since God hath restored the ring into my
hand, it can only be that He will surely watch over me
and give me back my former glory. Therefore let us make
no more delay. Let us arise and go to Jerusalem, and if God
be with me I will drive out my enemy, Asmodeus.
' "And thou, Naamah, because thou hast followed me
into the wilderness in my affliction and my low estate, as
God liveth (the rocks of the wilderness be my wit
nesses ! ) , thou shalt sit on a throne at my right hand and I
will set thee highest in my kingdom; and thy firstborn
son, which thou shalt bear to me, shall inherit my throne,
for to him will I leave my kingdom as an inheritance."
' That same day they arose and went their way. And
they came to Jerusalem.
' Solomon left Naamah in a shepherd's tent outside the
city, and he went up to the gate.
1 94
! Now Asmodeus still sat on the throne of the kingdom
which he had seized. In outward seeming he was King
Solomon, but in secret he wrought great and horrible
abominations.
! The faithful captains and servants of Solomon he had
sent away and put others in their stead. And in the eyes
of the men of his household his stench was evil, and they
hated him. He, too, kept himself aloof, dwelling alone,
solitary and gloomy.
! And Bathsheba, the mother of King Solomon, and also
his wives, knew of these abominations and they wept in
secret, saying each to the other in their amazement,
! "What is this that hath happened to the King? For he
is changed and become as some other man ! "
! And the people of Jerusalem heard that an evil spirit was
in the King's house, and they went mourning, and it was
as though the sun was wrapt in gloom at noontide.
! One day a beggar in tattered raiment came up to the
gate, crying loudly,
I am Solomon !
King was I in Jerusalem.
! And children gathered together with sticks and stones,

hemming him in on every side and shouting against him
as one that was mad. And the whole city was in an uproar.
And there came some who told it to the elders, and the
elders said,
! "Come, let us hear what is in his mouth, whether it be of
moment. Let the soldiers fetch him and keep watch over
him."
! So the soldiers went out by the order of the elders. And
the elders summoned Benaiah and examined him, saying,
! "Art thou ever summoned into the King's presence? "
! And Benaiah answered.
1 95
! "No. Never these three years have I been summoned
into his presence, and I know not what has befallen him."
! Moreover the elders inquired of the King's mother and
of his wives, saying,
! "What is the King's manner of life in his home? "
! But they hid their faces and wept, nor would they give
any answer, for they were ashamed to make his abomina
tions known.
! The elders summoned the King's eunuchs and asked
them, saying,
! "When your lord the King getteth him into his bed,
have ye observed his feet, of what son they are?"
! But the eunuchs answered,
! "We have never seen them, for the King never draweth
off his shoes in our presence."
! And the elders instructed the King's servants and,
working in secret, they sprinkled dust about the King's
bed.
! Now in the night Asmodeus was not heedful of h is
ways, because it was dark. And he left his bed with feet
uncovered and set the soles of his feet in the dust.
! And the next morning it came to pass that the servants
looked, and lo, there were marks in the midst of the dust
like the tracks of the feet of a cock. They ran and told it
to the elders.
! Then the elders knew that it was no vain word in the
mouth of the beggar. They brought him before them and
examined him.
! And Solomon told them all that Asmodeus had done to
him and all that had befallen him in the days of his wan
dering. And he brought sure proofs. He sh�wed them the
Sacred Ring; he showed them also the furrow of the
crown on his head. And the elders saw with their own
eyes and believed.
� And they whistled and wagged their heads, saying,
1 96
! "Truly God's ways are wonderful! What can man
understand of them ! "
! And Solomon made haste and went u p to the King's
house, bearing the Sacred Ring.
! All gates opened before him of themselves, and bolts
and bars were snapped without hand's aid. The keepers
of the gates saw him and fell backwards, and the guardians
of the threshold became speechless as stones.
! So Solomon burst his way through into the hall of the
throne and stood before Asmodeus.
! No sooner did Asmodeus see the Sacred Ring in the
hand of Solomon, than a great trembling seized him, and
he clapped his wings together and disappeared from sight.
! So Solomon returned to his throne and to his former

majesty, and there was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, and in
the King's house all gloom and amiety fled away.
! And Solomon remembered the love of Naamah and her
devotion, and he did with her as he had promised: he took
her from the shepherd's tent and brought her to the city,
and she was lawfully betrothed to him.
! And on the day of the marriage the King made a great
feast, and all the kings from near and far came to rejoice
with him and bless him. And among them was the king
of the Ammonites. And the daughters of Jerusalem went
out to meet the bridegroom and bride with timbrels and
dances, singing,
Who is this that cometh up from the

wilderness,
Leaning upon her beloved . ? . .
! And King Solomon and his queen went up and sat on

the royal couch with their crowns on their heads. And the
IQ7
kings came to bless them, each king with his captains that
bare him company.
' And there drew near also the king of the Ammonites;
and it was so that when he saw the bridegroom and the
bride, he recognised them and his heart grew numb. But
he held his peace for he could not believe the sight of his
eyes.
' And Solomon saw his confusion and laughed, saying,
' "Oh, king of the Ammonites, why standest thou there?
Draw near and kiss thy wanton daughter and the cook,
thy son in law ! "
' And he uttered a parable, saying,
Seest thou a man diligent in his

business ?
Before kings shall he stand.
! And, laughing, he added,
And sometimes kings shall stand

before him !
! And it came to pass that when the time was come about,
the queen bore a son. And the name of the child was
Rehoboam. The same was that Rehoboam, son of Naamah
the Ammonitcss, who reigned in the place of his father
Solomon. And in his days the kingdom of Israel was split
in twain.
A FATIED OX AND A DINNER OF HERBS *
IN THOSE DAYS WHEN SOLOi\lON WAS DROUGHT LOW,
WHEN HE WAS HURLED INTO A FAR DISTANT LAND B Y
ASMODEUS, KING O F T H E D E :\ I ONS, A N D W H E N A S � IODEUS
sat upon the throne of Israel, Solomon wandered about the

earth for many days, having nowhere to lay his head and
none to give him help; and he passed from one anguish to
another. The dry crust of bread, grudgingly given, he ate
in shame; and water he mingled with his tears. Bitterness
was heavy upon him. The longer he wandered the more
decrepit and disreputable he grew. His clothes wore out
and dropped off in rags and his shoes rotted away; his
visage blackened and he bore the look of a beggar who
had spent his life poking in middens.
• Sec Proverbs, r;. 1 7 : Better is a dinner of herbs where love is th:m a stalled
ox and hatred therewith.
1 99
! Yet in his deepest anguish he still hoped for help and at
heart he never doubted that some day he would be re
stored to his former majesty; for h e said,
! "Great is God's pity and His mercies are sure! "
! And whenever h e came with his stick and tattered rags
to a village or town he used to tell everybody,
I am Solomon !
and they thought him crazy and a speaker of foolish

things. Churls shouted out against him, the better sort
looked away from him, cruel folk insulted him, the coarse
and ribald made merry over him, the compassionate shook
their heads at him, sighing charitably; they that held them
selves in esteem turned aside, while the timorous kept out
of his sight.
! News of this wayfarer spread abroad. One day he came
to a small town in the land of Ephraim. Now the people
of Ephraim had for long cherished ill will against the house
of David, because David had laid a heavy hand upon them,
and, since the day when he became king, the tribe of Judah
had grown great and the honour of Ephraim had fallen.
! No sooner was Solomon seen in the streets of this town,
clad in his rags, carrying his oaken staff, and chanting his
set refrain,
I am Solomon !
than all the rabble of the neighbourhood came together

and surrounded him, mocking at him and jeering at him,
every one making merry according to his measure of wit:
! "Oh, ye daughters of Sion, come forth and gaze on King
Solomon !"
200
! "Even a king maketh himself known by his craziness
and his idiocies! "
! "He must have mislaid one of his thousand wives and is
come out to find her ! "
! "Just to make the thousand quite complete!"
! "Hide your wives, ye men of Israel! "
! "And fetch out your daughters! Who can tell: perhaps
they will have luck and reach the royal bed ! "
! "Amen! God grant it-Then could I b e quit i n a day of
seven unmarried daughters ! "
! "Hark to that wretch' Isn't he ambitious! "
! "He would be father in law to this fine king ! "
! "The wild thistle sent t o the cedar that was in Leb
anon • .
,,. .
! Now among this rabble was a brawny and burly outcher.

He looked like a goring bullock, weighted down with fat,
thick in the neck, with a forehead of brass. He was cast in
a single block, one solid slab of fat.
! Moreover this butcher was a man who knew no care and
felt no yoke. His heart was in his belly and his gullet, and
his trust was in his fists and in his money-bags. In his own
little goose-like eyes he was a great wit, and there was no
end to his japings and buffooneries. His practical jokes
were famous: many were they that had felt their weight
-each weighing two talents of lead. He would stalk forth
to the market place with his chopper in his belt, head thrust
far forward as though he would butt his way through,
and both hands outstretched and clenched all ready for
fisticuffs.
! His whole appearance said,
! "If any come too close, he'll be battered and broken anJ
shattered! "
! So most people went in dread of him. He was the terror
201
of the neighbourhood. Even the King's tax-gatherers
dared not come near him unless they were armed, and so
great toil and trouble did he cause them that they felt a
sickening dread of him.
! This butcher saw that now was a chance to show off his
wit. His spirits rose. Cutting a way through the rabble as
easily as his chopper would cut through a slaughtered kid,
he turned on them in pretended rage:
� "Oh, ye fleas' eggs' Ye fly-droppings! Ye spawn of lice!
How dare ye hustle this poor wayfarer? Do as I bid you
and let him alone! Keep your leprous paws to yourselves
and shut your filthy mouths! This is my meat and I will
cook it. Hand the mighty fellow over to me and I will
give him all he can want. I will surely roast him to a turn.
Only let me get at him, and I will manhandle him! "
� And as he came to the wayfarer he gave him a pat on
the back, a friendly pat, a pat sufficient to shatter him to
bits.
� Again he gave tongue, saying,
' "Oh, my brother! Thou art indeed a beast after my own
heart, my fine-stepping stallion: the very stuff that kings
are made of! Yet methinks thou'rt shrunken somewhat
from thy journey: a little fattening will do thee no harm.
Rely on me: this very day shalt thou fare at my feeding
trough and get thy belly full. Kings were ever my weak
ness, even the rags and tatters of kings. So now, when one
is come my way, shall I let him go off fodderless! Did that
wench, my wife, get wind of it she'd chaw me up alive
and gnaw my bones!
� "So there's only one thing for it: I must carry thee off
to my table, trussed like a calf. Thou shalt surely not regret
it. \Ve'll stuff thee like a fat bull of Bashan-and from the
greasiest and most luscious morsels: right royally shalt
thou he treated. Three whole tongues with mustard!
Think not I'm but a butcher: I lord it over my household,
202
and my good wife-God keep her fat! -she's the one to
stuff thee tight! I tell thee, there is none alive to match
her. She is fit to stand before any king-the daughter of
butchers for ten generations.
! "But, after all, why bother about reasons? Up shanks
and shift! What! Dost still hesitate? 1\lay my chopper
break my neck if thou ever slip away! I will drag thee by
thy weazand ! "
! And the butcher seized the miserable wayfarer b y the
scruff of the neck and trundled him along.
! At this sight the rabble's delight knew no bounds. As
one man they let out a shout of joy, and, leaving plenty
of room for the butcher and his fluttering prey, they bid
them both farewell with every sort of noise-hand-clap
ping, cat-calls, stamping of feet, howling, neighing like
horses and braying like asses. Never since that town began
had it known or seen such mirth.
! As for Solomon, he and God alone knew what he felt.
! Then the butcher, striding proudly along, his low
browed head thrust forward like a goring ox, held on tight
to his quarry, pushing and kicking aside all who stood in
their way, and saying,
! "Out of the way, ye slimy vipers!"
! As soon as he reached his home he shoved his guest in
side, sending him hurtling violently into the room as
though he were shoving an unruly ox into its fold, and he
said,
! "Make thyself at home, my fine guest! "
! He stood with legs apart, blocking up the entire door
space with his solid slab of a body; and like one who was
both victor and bearer of glad tidings, he shouted to his
wife,
! "What ho1 my treasure! Come along here and behold,
and let thy navel rejoice' I have brought thee the leviathan
himself, the noblest guest that ever was, the lordliest beast
203
in all the herd, destined to be a king from the day he was
begotten ! Thy drunken forcbears-i\Iay their stink waft
high for ever and ever!-never did they dream that such
a hippopotamus as this would ever cross their son in law's
threshold!
! "Oh, my good wife, pay due respect: think of it-a king
from the very day he was begotten! I came across him in
the market place, and at peril of my life have I fetched
him in hither. Know, then, thy pan and do it. Don't stand
there like a dummy! Off with thee to the kitchen and
cook! And do things in style befitting butchers. Naught
less than a whole fat ox shalt thou bring us: to-day the
table shall crack under its burden, and both our bellies
shall burst from guzzling and gorging. The king must
learn what a butcher in Israel can do when the spirit
moYeth him. On with thy work! "
! The woman hurried off to urge on her handmaids, and
the lord of the house hemmed in his guest close up to the
table, imprisoning him between himself and a corner of
the room. Then he mustered all his apprentices with a
stream of cursing and reviling, and from the cellar they
quickly fetched jars and bottles and wineskins and flasks
and flagons and jugs, a mixed multitude of all sons of
vessels of earthenware, stone and leather, some plain and
some spotted, some swollen-bellied and short in the neck,
and some thin-bellied and long in the neck, some wide
waisted and double-handled, and some narrow-waisted
with no handles at all; all of them plugged tight and all
filled with something drinkable, be it strong or sour or
bitter or foaming, every manner of liquor having its
special colour and taste and virtue.
! While the guest was wondering for whom all this liquor
was intended, the butcher hauled up to the scaffold a
bottle holding liquor made from grapeskins soaked in
wormwood, and while he poured out this bottle's blood
2 04-
into the cups set out for himself and Solomon, his mouth
belched forth wisdom:
Who such a skunk
As fears to get drunk!
Where no wine's swilled,
There appetite's killed !
"Is not that so, my royal tramp? Now do thou say thy
piece: art not thou a proverb-monger? But come along,
let us prove the point with this young son of a bottle. Look
at it well. Did ever anything seem so modest and demure,
so altogether tender and simple: purest olive oil! But he's
a most crafty rogue: I know him, yea, I know him! Seven
adders are not more destructive and corrupt than he! But
we'll punish him a little, and send him living down to hell.
Down with thee ! "
' So the rogue went living down t o hell.
� The butcher saw that his guest's face grew contorted
as he drank, for in his mouth and stomach the rogue was
scorching him like fire.
� The butcher waggled a finger at him, saying,
� "Hee-hee-hee! Kings mustn't pull faces when they
drink! Certainly not! Lest their visage be spoiled and their
glory turn aside! Straightway straighten, therefore, what
thou hast perverted-and join me in emptying yet one
other little cup.
� " 'Fire drives out fire'-as the proverb-mongers say; so
let us sniff that ruddy, misbegotten bottle yonder: it hath
the devil's own eye, winking at me in the distance, saying,
'Drink me!' Then let's fulfil his will and do the deed on
him. See, 0! See! How his wicked eye is leering at us in
the cup, how it is reddening! Fie, thou perverted son of
rebellion! Come, let him dangle down our gullets at a
single gulp! "
� So the ruddy, misbegotten one went down after the
2 05
'rogue'; and the butcher, wiping his mouth with the full
length of his forearm, let out a grunt of satisfaction.
' But as for his guest, the moment the liquor entered into
him he sprang off his seat as if a scorpion had bitten him:
holding his stomach he panted and gasped like bellows, as
though he would blow out the fire in his interior.
' When the butcher saw this his belly shook with glee:
' "There! Did I not tell thee! Is he not a thrice ill-gotten
wight? Now I vow that former cup will taste as sweet as
droppings from a honey-comb: is it not so?
� "But now, we'll sweeten that wight's bitterness with a
taste of its next-door neighbour. Suppose we see what's
inside this scrub of a crock: its looks aren't much to brag
about: they're gloomy as a rainy day! And it surely can't
boast of its smell or of its taste: pure bug-juice! But, ah! it's
strong, I'd have thee know! Its might, its potency, is be
yond words! It could fell a lion. The strongest brine is
milk compared with it. It could shock a corpse to life!
But its greatest gift is this: it can tickle up the drinker's
appetite and make it rampant as hell. Taste it, and thou'lt
never feel repletion. As a drink to herald dinner it know
eth no match. Take my advice: before we eat we'll swal
low a drop of this diluted puppy's slop. So here's to our
good appetite! Try it, do' You'll burst with gratitude! "
� The butcher's praises did not overstep the truth neither
did they fall short. The mere smell of it, still more its
taste and its pungency, was enough to knock down dead
an elephant.
� The guest's lips barely touched the liquor; but it was as
though he had been hit by three battle-axes all at once.
His eyes almost jumped out of his head. He snorted and
he gasped and he coughed and he nearly brought up the
whole of his insides.
� The butcher revelled in the sight of his guest's distress:
his little eyes glittered with delight and his blob of a nose
206
grew crimson, and every time an attack of snorting and
gasping and coughing overcame his guest, the butcher
hailed it with applause:
! "God bless thee, guest! Healing to thy navel, and ease
ment to thy gizzard! "
! "That is sure proof of its worth! Sure proof how great
is its work and its triumph! "
! "Did I not tell thee s o from the first! Balm and balsam
to thy bowels! "
! "Said I not so? 'Tis most prodigious tipple! There's
naught subtle or sly about its business."
! "Sure am I that very soon we'll see thee sneeze! Thou'lt
surely sneeze thy head off! Aha! My prophecy's come to
pass ! "
! The prophecy was still in his mouth, when, lo, it came.
A bout of sneezing suddenly attacked the guest and set
him quivering: it shook up every denizen in his belly. It
was as though, from somewhere inside him, a violent
storm burst forth and, as it pressed forward with irresisti
ble rush to pass through the narrow gorges of the nose,
it exploded and erupted like some sourly sweet volcano.
Atishoo! And again, Atishoo! And yet again, Atishoo!
! The butcher's very bones blossomed like green pastures:
his reddened blob of a nose shone like the Day-star, son
of the morning. Each sneeze came like oil into his bones.
The more violent the sneeze so the heartier was the ap
plause with which the butcher hailed it:.
! "Your health! "
! "0! Your very good health! "
! "Health, wealth and prosperity! "
! But when h e looked a t his guest's face and saw it all
sombre and soured as though he were suffering from
toothache, his eyes and his blob of a nose grew suddenly
black and scowling, and he bellowed in drunken rage,
! "There's that nose of thine again, fellow! writhing and
20 7
twisting like any snake! I know the reason well enough:
thy pampered palate and thy fastidious nose find the spiced
wine of Solomon more sweet than butchers' honest brew!
Deny it not! Yet it ill becometh a guest, even if the guest
were once a king, to turn up his nose in front of his host,
even if the host is but a butcher! Answer me this, fellow!
Wasn't it through me and the like of me that thou could
est sit every day in·thy palace at tables filled with fatness,
glutting thyself with our flesh and swilling our blood ?
We'll have less swagger here from thee: in this place I'm
the king! Dost understand ! "
� And he gave the table a mighty bang with his fist, a blow
of drunken energy, which set all the pots and bottles
dancing. So startled was one flagon that it jumped off and
spilled itself over Solomon's knees.
� For a moment there was an uneasy silence: the eyes of
Solomon, like the eyes of a hunted hart, looked out in fear
and agony. But the butcher's temper soon changed, and
as his indignation cooled, he said,
� "Did I scare thee, friend? Don't be frightened: I only
meant it for a joke: I was ever fond of jokes. Be it far from
me to fall foul of a guest at my own table. Quite the
reverse: to have a guest like thee is cause for boundless
joy. But I cannot bear to see thee sitting before me as
though thou hadst a skewer rammed through thy guts.
The sour-visaged and the melancholic, my soul abhorreth1
i\hke thy face shine, good friend, and let thy heart be
merry! I swear by this cleaver" (and here the butcher
pulled out his chopper from his belt and slammed it on the
table so that it stuck upright) - "I swear by this cleaver,
that thou shalt not stir hence or taste a mouthful of food
till thou hast made amends and joined me in yet another
drink: this time from this fat-bellied wench. Let it be thv'
cup of reconciliation ' "
� And, picking out a bloated, stoppered wine-skin from
208
among the crowd of jars and bottles, he went on talking:
� "And didst thou think that we should sit down to eat
and yet ignore this big-paunched nymph! Great wrath
had surely fallen on us had we shamed her so. Now is
her mouth stopped up, tight scaled, a sealed fountain!
But we need only unstop her mouth, and out she'll come
all froth and bubble. She's a most tempestuous, bois
terous lady. Let's squeeze her once or twice and sec what's
hidden in her bosom. Have no fear: her anger is but for
a moment, while her kindness is like a tightly wedged tent
peg. So. . let's kiss her with the kisses of our mouth. Be
bold! "
� And the wineskin, too, let forth her blood and breathed
out her life with a kiss.
� In this fashion relays of bottles came up on the table.
one after another, like victims to the scaffold; and, having
done his deed on them, the butcher swallowed them down,
cup after cup; and his guest, despite his starving stomach,
kept him company: his host compelled him: no entreat
ies or persuasions availed him:
� "What thy host biddeth thee, that must thou do - even
if thy belly split! Drink on, until thou whirl! "
� So the wretched, helpless wayfarer obediently delivered
up his throat and stomach into the butcher's power to do
with them as seemed good to him.
� Already many bottles, slaughtered victims of their lips,
rolled like dead men beneath the table. Yet still the butch
er showed no mercy. The blood of his decapitated bottles
he poured out into the cups before himself and his guest,
and, tossing the wine down his own gullet, he spurred on
his guest, urging him and pressing him:
� "Stretch wide thy gullet and guzzle! Bestir thyself!
Drain it to the very dregs' Elbows up! Be pitiless! Be bold
and stout of heart! "
� Now while host and guest were thus making merry over
209
their wine and awaiting dinner, the butcher's apprentice,;
brought before them between cups dish after dish filled
with strong-smelling radishes, leeks, celery, pungent green
and red pepper-pods, tear-provoking onions and garlic,
soaked in strong vinegar and colocynth oil, black and
stinking like tar; and with them came dishes laden with
tiny fish, full-flavoured and putrescent, like horse-leeches
or carrion maggots, drowned from head to tail in their
stinking brine; and dishes of cabbage, beet and cucumber
preserved in salt-water and spiced with cummin; likewise
mushrooms and truffles mixed with vinegar and pow
dered mustard, with yet other choice savoury condiments
of one kind and another, bitter and sour and salty, meet to
incite the stomach and to enlarge the appetite.
' All these did the butcher devour ravenously, with
champing and grinding of jaws and dog-teeth, with
smacking of lips, noisily swallowing and licking, making
such a noise of scrunching and sucking as could be heard
from afar. Yet never did his eye desen his guest nor did he
suffer him to abstain from any dish that was brought: he
spared him nothing.
! And whenever the guest wavered somewhat, the master
of the house loudly urged him on, saying,
! "Eat and drink, good friend! Let not thine eye have
pity. Avenge thyself! As scratching to an itchy boil, so
is salted savoury to gross appetite! The more thou indulg
est the more thou cravest, and ever doth the craving
grow! It hath a twofold merit: it provoketh a thirst in the
throat and it allayeth drunkenness. Arise, therefore, and
get on with thy chewing, good friend. Eat of this, and of
this, and of this, neither withhold thy hand from rhis:
then shalt thou be changed at once into another man. All
the liquor in thy bowels will be soaked up, and its presence
there will be forgotten."
! And to set an example the butcher tossed into his jaws
2 10
a great mouthful, an entire load of radishes and celery
rolled up together in colocynth oil. His cheeks bulged
and swelled like blown up bladders, and turning the
mouthful over with his tongue he smacked with his lips
and said,
! "Behold ' And do thou likewise! "
! Solomon sighed a s though his loins were breaking; and
he ate. He tasted of this and of that, nor from the other
did he withhold his hand, according to the commands of
his host which were strong upon him. But in his heart he
began to devise schemes how he might free himself from
the power of his persecutor or find some breach through
which to escape.
! Instinctively his eyes wandered to the door and the win
dow; but he was shut in tightly and could not stir: walls
were to the right of him and behind him; the butcher was
to the left of him and the table in front of him. Had he
been given wings he would have escaped like a bird
through the vent above his head in the ceiling.
! The butcher seemed to have followed his guest's
thoughts, for he suddenly fixed on him two bleary and
drink-sodden eyes, and with jaws still crammed and busy
with the mouthful of radishes and celery, he smacked his
lips, befouled with colocynth oil, saying,
! "Why such a sigh, old Friend! - mp, - mp, I loathe the
half-hearted. If any man, -mp, -mp, have a sorry heart,
-mp, -mp, then let him spew it out ! The butcher
knoweth -mp, -mp, the soul -mp, -mp, the soul of his
beast. Dost thou recall thy feeding-trough in time past?
Thy guts! Never were such endless gutters! There's no
denying it: Solomon's victuals were most luscious and fat
-mp, mp. Victuals! Victuals in dollops! Canst thou-mp,
-mp, canst thou still recall the reckoning?" *
! And having at last gulped down the mouthful of rad-
• 1 Kings 4o n-:z3.
211
ishes and celery into his gullet, leaving his tongue some
leisure, he began turning down one by one fat dumpy
fingers into his greasy palm, like one in the act of
counting:
� "Thirty measures of fine flour . one; and three score
. .
measures of meal . . two; ten fat oxen .

. . three; and
.
twemy oxen out of the pastures . . . four; and an hundred

sheep . . five. Isn't the reckoning correct and true? And
.
all these, remember, were but for a single day! Didst ever
hear the like? - just for one single day! Beside (Keep
silence, and hearken still! ) beside barts, and gazelles, and
roebucks, and fatted fowl!
� "Tell me: Was there ever the like since the world be
gan? Hell and damnation' That can rightly be called eat
ing! And still there must be added to the reckoning the
savourv which came before dinner' Likewise that which
came after! And thou still must add beside the wine and
the other drinks! Oh, Solomon! Solomon! May the dogs
devour me, but thou art in sooth a mighty fellow! "
� Stirred to rapture the butcher again patted his guest on
the shoulder, a pat of approval, a pat with force enough
behind it to crush the back bone from top to bottom.
� But suddenly he bethought himself of the sort of man
his guest was; and changing his tone, he said,
� "What a pity! All this was so long ago. It is now no
more. The wheel is turned full circle; and that Solomon
who once was king in Jerusalem now eateth like a pauper
at the table of a butcher in Israel. Therefore, my impov
erished king, eat, eat, and may it be sweet to thee! Better
still, drink and forget thy poverty. Didst not thou thyself
say the like in thy proverbs:
Give strong drink unto him that is

ready to perish,
And wine unto the bitter in soul.
212
� "My bowels gush with pity for kings like thee. Lo, even
the iate of cattle is better than thy fate. Their food is given
unto them and their water never faileth . . . . But what hast
thou? So eat and drink so long as there is food and drink
in front of thee. And if so be that thou eat and drink to
excess, what harm is there? 'Tis but to lay up store in thy
belly for a time of need. Who can know what may befall
thee tomorrow ! Not every day will God send thee a
butcher like me.
� "Therefore eat and drink, say I to thee. Falter not in thy
purpose. Good days will not soon return: who knoweth
if they will ever return? "
� And so the butcher's lips went babbling on, lips filthy
with colocynth oil. He felt himself comfortable and
merry from the effects of the wine and the radishes.
' But Solomon bit his lips and was silent. Only by force
could he refrain from seizing the knife on the table to do
something with it, though he did not yet know what -
whether to stick it into his own throat or into the butcher's
foul entrails. And the more he restrained himself the more
did his blood boil within him, and the more he wept in
wardly in helpless anger.
� Of a truth, 0 God, sore is thy chastisement; and thy
reproof, who can abide it! Were they so small a thing,
those afflictions which beset the wretched wayfarer in the
evil days of his wanderings? Yet rather would he have met
a bereaved bear in the forest, a viper on the path, a leopard
in desert places in the wilderness, than fall victim to a char
itable and compassionate butcher such as this!
� Meanwhile the time for the meal had arrived. Through

the door came the mistress of the house followed by her
handmaids. In their hands, protected by filthy dish-rags,
they bore all manner of cauldrons, stewpots and pans,
blackened and scorched by fire and lifted that moment off
213
the coals of the stove, all of them filled to the brim with
every sort of fare, product of cooking-pot, frying-pan and
stew-pot, raw or roast, boiled or stewed; there lacked not
a thing. Their shon journey from the kitchen hobs to the
table had not quite subdued the fury of their boiling and
their bubbling, and columns of steam belched out of the
cauldrons and rose up to the ceiling. The house was soon
filled like a bath-house with thick clouds of steam, and a
hotchpot of foul and fearful smells forced their way
through the nose and burst in upon the skull's very mar
row. Unwittingly Solomon's hand sped hastily to his nose;
and again his eyes went roaming in search of refuge.
� But there was no hope of escape whatsoever.
� J\lcanwhile the women had safely brought in the laden
pots and cauldrons and heaped all their fire-blackened
burdens on the table, arranging them side by side like a
wall round three of the table's four sides. Then, having
carefully covered up the steaming dishes, they silently
went back to the kitchen.
� And they two, the butcher and his guest, remained as it
were besieged.
� The sight of such a profusion of victuals and the odorous
incense of their fumes stirred the butcher to rapture. He
smote his guest's shoulder with threefold force - a blow
of glee and a summons to the fray:
� "Bless thy luck, old friend, that thou hast fallen into the
hands of such a one as I! It must surely be that the merits
of thy father David and thy pious mother Bathsheba have
prevailed on thy behalf to bring thee this day beneath the
shadow of my roof-tree. Say I not so? " (And here the
butcher winked a very cunning eye.) "So stretch wide
thy gullet, good friend, and unsheathe thy teeth! Rend,
chew, and spare nor ' "
� One o f the pots-greasy, boiling giblet soup-he emptied
out into a great eanhenware dish, a dish as big as a camel-
2 14
pannier and deep as the abyss. He sprinkled a handful of
pepper over it and, thrusting on his guest a thick, heavy
leaden spoon like a ladle, he said,
� "Launch fonh thy spoon, now, and cleave through the
deep; swim and paddle throughout its length and depth;
dive to the bottom; leap in and fear not. Life is in the
spoon! I am thy fellow in distress! "
� So the butcher, and after him the guest, each with leaden
spoon in hand, risked their lives and went quivering down
into the boiling gulf, exploring the depths thereof. From
the hidden deeps of the gulf, below the yellow glistening
fatness which floated, round and wide, like rafts on the
face of a river, there was disclosed a mingled mass of grain,
dumplings and beans, boiled and seethed together with
crumbs of dough, slabs of fat, and morsels of meat-offal
and scraps of tripes and chitterlings and fowls' gizzards
and craws. And, from the innermost depth, there
emerged, like a little island, a maw stuffed tight with
choicest savouries, a glutton's dream of bliss.
� Towards this little island the butcher's ladle paddled,
and the more the magnifi cent maw became uncovered as
the soup round about it was drained away, the more were
the butcher's greedy eyes beguiled by it. Diligently and
laboriously did he ply ladle and gullet in his anxiety to
dry up the deep sea and make himself master of that
stuffed maw.
� The guest, however, was slack in pursuit: he was writh
ing and wrestling with his leaden spoon, a lacle wider than
his mouth could stretch, striving to pass it through his lips
without scorching them or tearing them. It was no light
task thus to cut off his head yet save his life! He grew ever
more weary and sick: sweat dripped from his forehead
and nose, and his temples pounded like a gong. By reason
of his great effons and his great weariness the ladle almost
slipped from his hand.
� 1 he butcher felt only contempt at the sight ot his guest's
labours and difficulties: he never slackened for a moment
in his 0\m task and from above his own piled-up ladle
which plied its unceasing course to his lips, he shot a shaft
of mockery out of his little fat-encased eyes, a glance of
utter contempt which said as plain as words,
� "Thou paltry mollycoddle! Doth a Solomon eat in such
a fashion! "
� But lo, the giblet soup was at last drained dry, and the
stuffed maw in its resplendent, sublime and appetising
beauty and grace was wholly laid bare. At the bottom of
the dish it lay crouched like a lion, alone but undaunted,
beguiling and enticing. The butcher could curb his lust
no longer: seizing the maw with ravening claws, gripping
it so tightly that he squeezed out half its fattiness, in hot
desire he tore it into two, and one piece, still greasily drib
bling, he held out to his guest:
� "Take this and grow fat! It is a prince of maws, I'd have
thee kno,,-: its like there hath never been before: all gush
ing with fatness. And look within - a treasury of delica
cies, perfection of all delights! The very sight of it moveth
me to gambol like any calf! "
' But the maw did not beguile the heart of Solomon: his
stomach rose and hea,·ed at the sight of it, and he faltered
in his doubt whether he could defile himself with it or
not. The butcher saw his hesitation and waved his hand
in despair:
� "Verily, thou art a poor-spirited nincompoop! Thou
hast this day disgraced King Solomon: thou hast held him
up to shame and dishonour. Yet thou it was concerning
,,-hom I heard those mighty feats of vigour - that thou
hadst married one thousand wives, and many other like
things. Surely, thought I, he is a virile fellow, and if such
be his manly power, how great must be the lust of his belly
216
and the might of his jaws! But now I see that all I heard
was empty talk and lies; thine own mouth betrayeth thee:
no sooner hast thou begun than thou art wearied. And
what wilt thou do with the rest of these dishes? Those
women of Sidon and Ammon must have sapped thy
powers and robbed thee of thy manhood. Is that not so?
0! ye kings! I know you well ! "
! And again the butcher winked a very cunning eye.
! But Solomon sat with drooping head and groaned in
silence. What could he say? The butcher had indeed
found out his shame. Moreover had he not raised a great
question:
! "What can I do with the rest of these dishes? How can
I eat of them all?"
! And Solomon's eyes turned furtively towards the pots
to see how many they were: one, two, three, four . . . !
! "0! my God, the God of my father David! Even had I
the stomach of a wild ox never could I endure the like of
these! And who knoweth what lieth in wait for me in the
depths of this great cauldron, this black horror of darkness
which standeth, high and lifted up, awaiting its moment!
This accursed cauldron beareth naught save evil tidings!"
! But before Solomon could devise any means of escaping
from the trap which had caught him, the butcher took up
that dreaded cauldron and turned it out into a dish, vaster
and deeper than the former, a veritable barrel; and into
this barrel-like dish there fell an entire ox-belly, yet an
other sample of the stuffer's art, rising mountain-high
above the dish's rim.
! Like craggy rocks round about this mountain lay frag
ments of spleen and suet, lights and liver, and many such
like choice morsels, and from the mountain there was
forthwith belched a strong and heavy stench, like a pestil
ential wind, and it violently smote the nose of Solomon, so
that his senses all but forsook him. It must needs be,
2. 1 7
thought Solomon, that these entrails have never been
cleared of their offal.
! But in proponion as the ox-belly horrified the guest, so
did it delight the butcher's hean. Rubbing his hands to
gether in ecstasy he cried out in his joy:
! "Verily this day hath my good wife surpassed herself!
Hell and damnation! Did ever eye see the like? Do it
j ustice, my old friend! Gird up thy loins! Here cometh
the ox-belly: all hail to it, a royal mother of entrails! Bet
ter still: loosen thy girdle and give thy belly scope.
! "Yet, if thou would have still more space between thine
entrails, I will give thee sound counsel. Let us act with
prudence and drink one more small cup, that it may hold
apart the one dish from the next: let it lead the way to the
cups which we drink midway in our repast; then shall we
rise up against this ox-belly and dash it in pieces. So shall
we see the measure of thy might."
! But Solomon's ear had ceased to take in the butcher's
prating. All the abominations which had entered into him
were giving forth their warnings, warnings in stomach
and mouth: unless he got out quickly, naught could stay
the evil!
! So while the butcher still busied himself among the pots
and bottles, a spirit came upon Solomon. He purposely
knocked his spoon off the table, and, as he stopped to pick
it up, he seized the table's legs and upset the table and
everything on it.
! The siege was raised! The way lay clear to the window.
In an instant, Solomon, leaping over the wreckage,
jumped through the window and disappeared.
! In the house arose a great tumult. At the noise of the
overturned table and the crashing of broken pots and bot
tles, the thresholds shook and the doorposts tottered: the
whole household, the butcher's wife, her handmaids, and
the butcher's apprentices and servants, rushed in haste to
218
the place whence the crash was heard, and they reached
it all together.
! Over the wreckage stood the butcher, wonderstruck
and horrified, with outstretched hands and bulging eyes
and gaping mouth, and tongue dangling out between
greasy lips. There he stood, a silent slab of congealed fat.
! And the guest was gone.
! Solomon ran as long as breath remained in his body and

strength in his legs, until he had escaped into the country.
There, into the depth of a pit, he vomited everything
which he had swallowed in the butcher's house.
! Yet for two days more the flavour of those abominations
still remained in his mouth, and he felt himself like one
who abhorred his own flesh and whose inside was be
fouled. Could a man change his flesh as he changeth his
raiment, then would Solomon have stript off his polluted
body and cast it like carrion to the dogs and clothed him
self anew with another body.
! Throughout those two days he brought no food to his
mouth, for it was loathesome to him. Moreover he kept
aloof from any town or habitation lest some butcher fall
upon him and persecute him a second time.
! On the third day a peasant found him fainting by the
wayside. He took pity on him. He brought him into his
hut and dealt with him compassionately. He spake with
him in kindliness and restored his spirit.
! J\1 oreover when the wayfarer told him about himself,
saymg,
I am Solomon,
the peasant did not mock him or pour scorn on him, but
he behaved discreetly to the wandering and persecuted
2 19
wayfarer. And he sought diligently how he might bring
him peace and comfon, for, he said,
� "The judgments of God are a great deep, and what can
man know of them? "
� And he brought his guest water and washed his face and
hands and feet, and ministered to him. And when the time
for food drew near, he said to the wayfarer,
� "If I have found favour in thy sight, my master, refuse
me not, but share with me my daily bread. I am no rich
man and my dinner is meagre-only a few green herbs.
Yet no guest may go hungry from my house."
� And Solomon consented and shared the bread of the
peasant.
� And that day the dinner of the green herbs tasted sweeter
than any royal dainty which he had eaten in his days of
wealth.
� And when he left the poor man's house, consoled and
comfoned, and set out again on his wanderings, he took
with him another and a newborn spirit the like of which
he had never known before.
2 20
"THE WAY OF A l\1AN WITH A MAID"
KING SOLOMON HAD A VERY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER. IN
ALL THE EARTH THERE WAS NONE TO CO:\! PARE WITH HER.
THE KING LOVED HER LIKE H I S OWN SOUL AND H E KEPT
her as the apple of his eye.

� Now this damsel had always been strange in her ways
and different from damsels of her own age: she could not
endure the noise and glamour of palaces and preferred to
wander quietly and alone in the King's garden or saunter
in the vineyards in the early morning, while she pondered
in her heart and her eyes gazed out afar. She passed her
days in a waking dream, and none knew the thoughts of
her heart.
� The time carne when she was of an age to marry, and
221
the sons of kings from near and far came to her father to
seek her hand in marriage. But the princess hid her face
and paid no heed to their words, so that they all returned
unto their own country discomfited and ashamed.
� Very many days passed by, yet the damsel remained ob
durate and the sons of kings abandoned hope and no more
sought to see her face.
� The King felt anxious for her and he was troubled in his
hean. In the night he went up to the roof and studied the
stars to learn which prince it might be whom God had
destined for his daughter, and when this bridegroom would
come. He studied the signs in the heavens and he saw, and
lo! - no King '>vas it nor any prince whom God had des
tined for the princess, but only a poor and simple youth
from the lowest of the people: at the appointed time he
would come and take her to be his wife.
� The King was greatly displeased and sought how he
might make the counsel of the heavens of none effect. He
thought in his hean,
� "I need but hide the girl for cenain days until the ap
pointed time which I saw in the stars is past and gone; then
the fate decreed shall likewise be annulled."
� So he searched until he found a lonely island, far away,
where no ship ever passed; and there he built a high tower
having many halls and chambers within it; and round
about it on every side he raised a strong wall.
� Inside this tower he shut up his daughter, and with her
he left seventy eunuchs from the elders of Israel to guard
her and attend her; and he prepared provision in abun
dance, every kind of food and drink and choicest victuals:
nothing was lacking. And he closed up tightly all the doors
and gates of the tower with locks and bolts of iron so that
none might go out or come in; and he said,
� "Now shall I see God's act and deed, and whether the
counsel of the stars will be fulfilled."
222
� So the princess abode in that tower; and seventy eunuchs
watched over her, keeping guard day and night, and dil
igently fulfilling her every desire from the least to the
greatest. No pleasure was withheld from her, for thus had
the King ordained, that every joy or pastime that her soul
desired be granted her that she suffer no tedium in her
loneliness.
� One thing alone could they not grant her - to go out
side the door of the tower; for the tower was shut up from
every side: none might go out and none come in. There
fore whenever she felt herself oppressed by long confine
ment within the tower, she would go up to the roof and
there walk to and fro in the cool of the day; or she would
lean on the parapet and look out over the far-stretching
sea on every side and watch the tumultuous waves. And so
she found comfort and relief.
� By day and by night a sentinel stood on the wall with
watchful eyes turned to the sea round about, to guard the
island lest any ship approach or any strange person tread
within its borders.
� Twice during the day, in the morning and in the eve
ning, a swift boat appeared about a bow's shot from the
island, and in the boat was a messenger sent by the King to
inquire concerning the damsel's welfare.
� He used to hold out a white flag, signifying,
� "Is all well with the King's daughter?"
� And the sentinel would also wave a white flag towards
him as a signal saying,
� "All is well ! "
� Then the boat would straightway turn round and dis
appear over the horizon.
� The nearer drew the time, the appointed time which
the King feared, the more diligent grew the eunuchs in
their task. They kept diligent watch at their posts by the
gates and doors, with open eyes and stretched-out ears and
223
sniffing noses, trembling even at the sound of a fly beating
against a window or a weasel burrowing inside a wall; for
they were trusty servants and carried out their duty to the
King in all faithfulness.
* * *
� Now in the city of Acre was a poor boy, the son of

worthy folk from a family of scriveners. Suddenly one
day he left his native town because the home of his humble
parents was become too narrow for him, and his soul
craved to see far off places.
� He left his home and he took with him naught save him
self and his staff. Yet his courage never failed and he knew
no care. For the sap of youth filled his bones and faith and
hope filled his hcan. Blithe spirits urged him on and he
went singing on his way. As he passed through the coun
try side his heart went out to the jumping grasshopper and
the sprightly birds and the wild conies and the daning
lizards. He was drawn to every green tree and to every
shady booth in forsaken vineyards. Like any bird he kept
his soul alive from the gleanings left in the fields of kindly
folk. The earth was his bed and a stone his pillow.
� As he wandered through the country visiting towns and
villages, his cars hearkened diligently to all whom he met
by the way and from the lips of the people and their elders
he learned knowledge and wise sayings, and he hid them
in his hean; they were his consolation in distress and re
freshment in his wanderings.
� One cold and rainy day when the sun went down, he
found himself hungry and thirsty, naked and barefoot, in
a barren and desolate region; and the frost devoured him
and his strength failed him.
� He found the skeleton of an ox, and he rejoiced and said,
� "Blessed be God who hath provided me with a bed in
2 24
this place! Let me lie inside it: it may give me warmth,
even if it be but a little."
' So he entered inside its ribs and lay down and slept.
! While he was asleep in the night a great and mighty eagle
came down and took hold of the skeleton and carried it
away in its beak, together with him that slept therein. It
flew away and came to the tower which the King had
built for the princess; and there it set down its burden on
the roof. It began to pick off scraps of decayed flesh from
the skeleton, but the youth came out and drove it away.
! All that night he sat on the roof, very weary, and shiv
ering from cold and rain.
! When morning broke and the sky grew bright, the
princess, as her custom was day by day, came out to the
roof. She saw the young stranger.
! Keeping herself far from him, she asked,
! "Who art thou? And who brought thee hither? "
! In all innocence the youth answered,
! "Fear not, 0 damsel, nor be angry against me. I am a
Hebrew, the son of poor folk which dwell in Acre. Last
night rain overtook me in the open country, and I was
hungry and thirsty and had naught to cover up my body.
So I lay inside a skeleton. And an eagle took me up and
left me here. And now, I know not how to get away, for
the sea is all around us and there is no boat anywhere to
be found."
! The princess took pity on him and brought him secretly
into her chamber. She washed him and clothed him and
gave him to cat and to drink; and he quickly recovered
his comeliness and his cheerfulness. She looked on him,
and, lo, he was well-favoured and pleasing. She rejoiced
over him greatly and his company was sweet unto her.
She hid him in her chamber, and the eunuchs knew not
of it, for she told them not of his coming nor did they
enter her chamber unless they were summoned.
225
' And it was so that from that day forth she herself went
out to them twice in the day to show that it was well with
her. And the elders laid it not to heart, for they said,
,- "It hath but chanced so."
� And they remained at their posts watching diligently,
each at his own station and his appointed place, with peer
ing eyes and outstretched cars and sniffing noses; for they
were very trusty servants and carried out their duty to the
King faithfully and devotedly.
� Now the princess perceived that the poor boy was wise
and intelligent and pure in heart, and she loved him with
all her heart and soul.
� One day she said to him,
! "Do I find such favour in thy sight that thou wilt have
me to be thy wife?"
' "Why dost thou need to ask? " he answered, "Am not
I thy servant to wash thy feet? "
! And she told him how strong was her love and how that
he \\'as better and more precious to her than any prince
in the world, and how that it was God's doing which had
brought him here on the wings of the eagle. And she told
him that her soul clave unto him from the moment when
she first saw him, and that without him her life would
be no life at all.
� And many other such things did she say unto him in the
heat of her affection.
� Moreover he responded with words even seventy and
seven times more loving, and they made a covenant of
everlasting love. The boy stood up and let out blood from
his arm and with his blood he wrote the words of the
covenant on a scroll, both writing them down and sealing
them. And he betrothed her to him lawfully and said,
� "The Lord is witness, and his angels Michael and
Gabriel are witnesses ! "
226
'! Of all these things the eunuchs knew nothing, whether
little or much. Howbeit none could have been more hon
est and faithful than they, for they turned their nights
into days and watched most diligently in the performance
of their duty.
! After these things, when the time had passed by which
had been revealed to Solomon by the stars, he remem
bered his daughter who was shut up in the tower, and
he was minded to bring her back to his house.
! He set sail in a ship and came to the island and to the
tower. He carefully examined the bolts and the locks out
side the gates and the doors, and he saw that they were
whole and that no hand had touched them. He com
manded that they be broken off.
! Then were the gates and the doors opened and the King
entered inside the tower, and the elders came in haste to
meet him and to greet him.
! "Is it well with my daughter?" asked the King. "Where
is she?"
! "All is well with her, 0 lord the King, and lo, she is
within her chamber."
! The King went to the chamber of the princess, and the
elders followed after.
! And it came to pass that when they opened the door,
behold! in the chamber, beside the damsel, was a comely
youth1
! Uttermost panic seized the elders, and their hearts ceased
to beat. The King turned upon them the eye of wrath:
! "\Vho," he asked, "is this?"
! The elders could give no answer. They were altogether
terror-stricken and turned to stone. They stood dumb,
their faces white, and their heads bowed down to the
ground.
! The King stamped his feet in fury:
! "Can ye not answer? Answer, or be torn to pieces ! "
2 27
' The elders fell upon their faces to the ground. In fear
and trembling they said,
' "Alas, 0 lord the King, what can we say or what can
we speak? As God liveth, with all our might have we
watched over the King's daughter, yet even so we know
not by what means the youth entered hither."
' The King turned to the damsel in burning rage:
! "Wanton one, what doth this youth here? Who brought
him hither? Speak! "
! And the damsel fell down a t the feet o f the King and
said,
! "Be not angry, 0 my father! By God's hand alone hath
this come to pass: God sent His messenger the eagle and
brought me a desirable youth; and I have become his wife.
Accept him and bless him, 0 my father ! "
! "Who an thou ? " the King asked the youth, "And how
earnest thou hither? "
! The youth stood before the King and answered him
without fear. He told him everything.
! The King saw that he was a seemly youth and felt kind
ly towards him. He spake with him and found that in
knowledge and wise sayings he surpassed tenfold all the
scribes and sages in his dominion.
! Moreover he asked of his name and his city and the fam
ily of his father and his mother. And the youth answered
him straightforwardly and simply, telling of his poveny
and his wanderings, and how the eagle bore him by won
drous ways to the top of the tower and how the damsel
took pity on him and gave him shelter and dealt kindly
with him.
' And he showed the King the scroll of writing which he
had written and scaled with his blood in proof of the cov
enant of everlasting love between him and the King's
daughter.
' Solomon heard these words of truth and wonder and
228
perceived that this was none other than that poor and sim
ple youth which the stars had revealed to him. And he
said,
� "Now know I that no wisdom or knowledge or counsel
can prevail against the purpose of the Lord! "
' The elders saw that the King's anger was turned from
them. Their spirit revived and they rose up from the
ground, lifting their hands to heaven, saying,
� "Blessed be God that giveth man a wife! "
' Then Solomon took his daughter and her husband and
brought them to Jerusalem. And for seven days he made
a feast for them and rejoiced with them.
' And when the days of the feast were ended he sum
moned the bridegroom and said to him,
� "Behold, thou art now the King's son in law, and my do
minion is great and far reaching. Ask, therefore, for thy
self some honourable office such as thy hean desireth, and
I will give it to thee."
� But the bridegroom answered,
� "Oh, my lord the King' I am but a man of scrolls and
volumes: from my youth up have I known only poverty.
My forefathers likewise have all been scribes and learned
in sacred studies; never have they pursued high matters
or known palaces or luxury. If, now, I have found favour
in thy sight, let thy servant be given some peaceful and
solitary homestead by the sea shore where I may abide
with my wife; and, like all my fathers, I will ponder the
words of (;ocl and the knowledge of His ways."
� The King granted him his desire; and he appoinr�cl h im
to be over the King's scribes. So the King's son in law
dwelt in his homestead; and he gathered together all the
proverbs of wisdom which Solomon uttered from time
to time and wrote them down in a volume.
� Moreover he brought together cenain words of wisdom
.2 2 9
of his own, which he had learnt or which he had meditated
in his own heart; and he set them down at the end of the
Proverbs of Solomon. Are not they the words of Agur
son of Jakeh which are found there unto this day?
! And thus saith he in his proverbs:
There be three things which are too

wonderful for me,
Yea, four which I know not:
The way of an eagle in the air;
The way of a serpent upon a rock;
The \\·ay of a ship in the midst of the
sea;
And the way of a man with a maid.
2 30
THE PRINCESS OF ARAM
(i)
KING SOLOMON MADE A GREAT FEAST I :-< IllS PALACE AND
THERE CAME TO T H E FEAST ALL THE KIXGS O F Til f. EAST
AND THE WEST: THE KIXG OF ARA \ 1 , AXD TilE KING O F
Tyre, and the kings of Ammon and i\ loab, and the rest of
the kings, both great and small and smaller still. Chief of
them all was the mighty Pharaoh, king of Egypt. They all
came with their most honourable captains, and the greatest
of their wise men, and their chief magicians.
,- Each brought with him his own secret thoughts: some
there were that came with an honest heart and in good
faith to see the wisest of kings in all his glory and to honour
themselves by honouring him; others came as flatterers and
privy mockers; while yet others came in a mood of stifled
jealousy with manifold evil motives.
,- Solomon's table was laden with all the choicest victuals
of the earth : naught was lacking which man's heart could
covet or his eyes desire. The guests ate and drank and grew
merry. Yet their eyes were watchful and expectant.
' And it came to pass that after they had gladdened their
231
heans, the King, as his custom was, took them into the
garden of the palace to converse in shady corners or to
seek diversion in discourses of wisdom, in proverbs, para
bles, and riddles of the east, according to the good hand
of God upon Solomon.
! The King's garden was large and spacious: its delights
were without number and its splendour had no end. Every
tree which God had planted in the beginning of the world
was assembled there, while banks of glorious flowers and
scented herbs crowned the garden's loveliness. Brightly
coloured birds filled it with joyous tumult from morning
till night, and fountains of clear running water never
ceased to cast up their cool rills, bursting like crystals into
marble-paved pools; and their sweet tumult seemed to
bring renewed life in all the hidden places of the garden.
! Pendants of glass and crystal, bells of amethyst and gold
with tongues of pearls, adorned the foliage of the trees,
and so often as the breeze touched them they gave fonh
the tiniest of tinklings, most sweet to the ear; and the
tin!dings mingled with rustling leaves and humming foun
tains and chirruping birds, uniting in a single divine
chorus. The listening ear never grew weary.
� All this splendour did the guests behold and they felt
themselves in a dream. But when Solomon opened his
mouth in wisdom, the eyes of every one turned and gazed
fixedly at the lips of Solomon, and they put away every
one his petty thoughts and perversities of hean; they no
longer knew themselves: such was the magic of Solomon's
lips in winning all heans and penetrating all ears.
! Solomon drew his guests together beneath a dense and
leafy fig tree interwoven with creeping vines, and he bade
them be seated on carpets of many colours beside a pool of
clear water, while his servants and attendants, comely
youths from Ethiopia and Saba and Kedar, well favoured
and bright-eyed, swift of hand and fleet of foot, marked
232
well the needs of the guests, responding at once to a flick of
their eyelids and bringing them golden cups and crystal
goblets of grape juice and every kind of drink which re
fresheth the soul, and silver baskets laden with every
choice fruit which maketh glad the hean.
� There lacked naught which could increase the comfon
f
of the guests and give them leasure.
� Solomon sat at the head o his guests. His face glowed
with divine wisdom and his mouth was a fount of under
standing. He spake that day in parables about birds and
beasts and flowers, and he spake wisely of God's ways and
of God's providence and wonderful works. And, moved
by the spirit, he spake also about the stars and constella
tions and all the hosts of heaven which moved at God's
command, and he described their rotations and their
motions.
� And at the last he spake on the subject of woman: that
a wife was God's gift to man and a recompense for his
deeds, be they good or be they evil.
� But when the king of Tyre (he that had been Solomon's
companion from his youth up) heard these words of Sol
omon, his eyes gave fonh a crafty smile, a smile of subtle
mockery, the faintest of smiles, tiny as the eye of a needle,
a smile hardly to be perceived.
� Yet naught could be hidden from the eyes of Solomon,
and at once he said,
� "Will not the king of Tyre tell us what is in his hean?"
� And the king of Tyre, with a tiny satyr dancing in his
eye, answered,
� "Doth a wife indeed come from the hand of God? I
know a certain king who hath in his palace a thousand
wives. Did God bring them every one into his bosom?"
� The eyes of all the guests turned to the speaker: some in
angry reproof, some in fear, and some in silent glee, as
though they would say,
2 33
� "Well done, thou king of Tyre! Sharp is thy needle and
sore the sting thereof ! "
� And the king of the Ammonites, he that despite himself
\\·as a father in law to Solomon, called to mind how Sol
omon had dealt with him and how he had entered by
stealth into his house as a cook and taken away his daughter
Naamah.
� And he said,
� "As my god Milcom liveth! I, too, can never believe that
the mighty gods concern themselves with affairs of love
and dalliance! Is there lack of petty godlings to do this
task that we need to lay it to God's charge? I know of
cunning fellows, skilful at this business, who were shame
less enough to steal the hean of simple girls ( as a cook
might steal some choice morsel from his master's pot) and
clever enough to entice them out of their father's house.
Was it with God's help alone that they carried Ol.lt their
crafty schemes? "
� At these outspoken words the guests' ears grew seven
times more alert and their eyes gleamed seven times
brighter:
� "Of a truth," thought they, "the Ammonite hath smote
a wondrous blow! A truly wondrous blow' This time it
is no thin needle, but a red hot spear which hath pierced
the skin of Solomon! "
� And, taut like bow-strings, they sat awaiting the out
come of this combat.
' Then the king of Aram, a man of meagre flesh and
stunted stature, shrivelled by his ill-nature and devoured
by jealousy, one who had long borne a grudge against the
son of David - this king of Aram saw that now was his
moment for revenge.
� From his eyes peered out two tiny evil scorpions; and
he said,
� "As for me, I know of still more wonderful things. I
2 34
know a certain king who stole a wife out of the bosom of
his faithful servant; and his son, the fruit of his sin, sitteth
on the throne after him. And now I fain would know for
whom did God first destine that woman? - for the robbed
or for the robber? Or was it for them both together?"
! This was, of a truth, a well-sharpened arrow, an arrow
besmeared with poison, cleaving the very heart and reins.
! The king of Moab, a fleshy man and fat, overburdened
by his tongue, saw how all restraints of courtesy had now
been broken down. His face glistened more greasily than
oil; he resolved within himself to delay no longer; he, too,
would unmuzzle his pent up feelings. But first he thrust
forth his tongue, a fat tongue like the tongue of an ox;
and, licking his thick lips once to the right and once to the
left, he disgorged ponderous rolling words, one by one,
as though he were rolling stones:
! "Look now at thy great-grandmother, Ruth the Moab
itess, an offshoot from my family stock, a daughter of the
chiefs of Moab and of the nobles of the ancient people of
Chemosh: was it not she that built up the house of the
King of Judah when she became the wife to Boaz the
Bethlehemite after that 1\bhlon son of Elimelech, also a
man of Judah, the husband of her youth had died on her?
And now I fain would know which god was it that gave
the Moabitess twice over into the bosom of a son of Judah?
Was it Chemosh, the god of Moab, or was it the god of
Judah? Or was it both of them together?"
! Truly a ponderous fellow was this king of Moab: a fat
tened ox! Yet his goring horns knew how to reach their
mark and penetrate the inmost depth. The question was
in keeping with the speaker: thick and heavy like a wine
press beam whose like seven Lion.men of Moab could not
shift.
! All the royal guests, kings great and small and smaller
235
still, smelt a coming storm, and their bellies rejoiced great
ly. Their inward pans all danced for joy: now would
their gladness be complete! At the prospect their eyes lit
up with little lighted torches, torches of glee; but, coward
like, thev hid them hurriedly beneath their eyelids and
looked down to the carpets whereon they were sitting.
� Alone among them all the king of Egypt, the noblest of
the kings, a lion old and haughty, decked with majesty
and pride, with gloomy eyes, who was come to the feast
to take part in the pomp of his son in law - he alone, as
he heard the words of ridicule, boiled like a cauldron with
indignation. His flesh shook with rage, his eyes flashed and
his nostrils sent forth smoke; each moment his right hand
sped to his sword-hilt, and only by force could he restrain
himself and withdraw his hand.
� These heads of dogs! - could he, Pharaoh, suffer them
to assail the honour of his son in law, the honour of the
covenanted ally of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and husband
of his daughter, and let them escape unpunished?
� A great silence fell upon the assembly, an expectant
silence, too heavy to be borne. Each guest held his breath
and looked away wheresoever he could. Each heart felt
an obscure terror, as though a hidden blade of a sword
hovered over them and was about to fulfil its purpose.
� The king of Egypt's eye gave forth a glance seven times
more stormy than before. He turned a wrathful fiery eye
on Solomon as though he were bidding him
� "Trample them under foot ! "
� Many others, too, of the more honourable guests, kings
great and small and smaller still, who had not behaved im
pudently to Solomon, tried to arouse themselves and
break the silence. One by one they raised their eyes to
Solomon: eyes of every son: dogs' eyes and rabbits' eyes,
foxes' eyes and jackals' eyes, serpents' eyes and monkeys'
eyes, owls' eyes and sparrows' eyes. Snarling, flattering,
2 36
goading, and craving after scandal, they all at the same
time seemed to be saying to Solomon,
! "Smite them, 0 King, smite them! Crush their skulls ! "
! But King Solomon ignored them. He waited quietly
and unmoved until his guests were silent. He lifted up his
head, fearless as a young lion, and spake with royal dignity
and courtesy:
!J "When it shall be proved that my words are true, that
it is indeed God who bestoweth on every man his wife,
then shall ye come every one of you from his own place
and country and enter the Temple which I have built to
God on Mount Sion, and ye shall bow yourselves down
with your faces to the ground and lick the dust."
' "But," they asked, "how can we know whether thy
words are proved true? "
! "This will we do," answered Solomon. "Every one of
us will write down the name of one of his daughters, a vir
gin whose time is come that she is of an age to marry. And
we will cast lots. Whichever damsel shall be drawn by
lot, I will put her on a lonely island where no man can see
her and none visit her. And I will command my great
white eagle and it shall provide her with food from my
palace so long as she dwelleth alone on the island. Then
shall we see whether or not her fate shall befall her at
God's hand as I have spoken."
! And with one mouth the kings replied,
! "According to thy counsel so let it be done! "
' The lot was cast; and it fell upon the daughter of the
king of Aram.
! The king of Aram was sorely displeased when he saw
how the lot had fallen, for this was his only daughter, a
desirable damsel, the joy of his house and his eyes' delight.
His anger was kindled greatly and he gnashed his narrow,
pointed, mouse-like teeth. In his heart he cursed Solomon
and his God. But his word had been pledged in the pres-
237
ence of all the kings, and he could not draw it back.
' The king of Aram fulfilled his pledged word, and, re
turning to his home he sent Keziah, his only daughter
whom he loved, to the king of Judah that, through her,
Solomon's words might be put to the proof. He grieved
for her greatly, and his heart smote him. He longed after
her in pity and anxiety: for who knew what it was that
God had decreed concerning her?
( ii )
' Far removed from the track of ships was a small and
desolate island. It was rocky and mountainous and covered
with virgin forest. No man had ever dwelt there, and no
ship had ever drawn near to it. The sea round about it for
four hundred leagues was filled with deadly snares and
perils which no mariner had ever overcome, for none who
went there had come back alive.
' Solomon alone knew the island. He found it one day
when he was flying on the great white eagle. He came
down to examine it, and he kept his knowledge to himself
until some fitting time.
' On this island he determined to build a tower wherein
the daughter of the king of Aram should abide until re
demption came to her.
' King Solomon made no delay. He chose out wise and
faithful craftsmen from the most skilful masons and
builders and workers in wood and stone and iron, and sent
them to the island with all the tools of their craft and
food in abundance. And there they built a tower on the
top of a lofty peak according to the King's desire and ac
cording to the fashion which he showed to them. He did
not send them to the island in ships lest accident befall
2 38
them in their voyage through the sea, and lest the way to
the hidden island become known. But he took them
thither on the wings of the wind, on his magic cloak, and
set them down upon the island in safety, they and all their
burden.
� When they reached the ground they found themselves
encamped in a wooded field on the peak of a steep and
high mountain, and on all sides were thick and lofty trees
covered with dense foliage. Here had Solomon determined
to build the tower.
' After some days the work was finished according to all
that had been prescribed, and the tower stood up 0n its
foundations ready to fulfil all the desire of the King.
� It was exceedingly high, raising its head above the trees
of the forest, and from a distance it seemed to be a proud
neck stretching heavenward from among the trees. With
in the tower, in the topmost part thereof, was a bed
chamber and a spacious upper room, wherein the princess
could dwell and move about in comfort. For thus had
King Solomon commanded, that the damsel suffer no
straitness in confinement, that her spirit be not quenched.
� In the upper part of the tower were windows and lat
tices opening to the breezes and sunshine, and through
them the princess, like a dove in a dovecot, could look out
and rejoice.
' Below the windows the tower was solid and unbroken
on all sides, without any door. From the outer side the
walls were very steep and smooth: in them was no pro
jection nor any hole or flaw in the stone or aught whereon
a finger could lay hold.
� The damsel had but a single outlet, a small stairway lead
ing from her upper room to the roof where she could walk
about in the cool of the day as often as she would.
' The tower had but a single gateway whose locks and
bolts were all of solid iron.
2 39
� And on the appointed day when the damsel was to be
brought to the tower, Solomon and all the kings assembled
together and took Keziah, daughter of the king of Aram,
and flew to the island on the magic cloak; and they came
down on the top of the mountain on which the tower was
built.
� They explored the tower within and without and they
examined it from every point, testing it carefully from top
to bottom. And when they saw that it was built according
to all that had been prescribed, without any flaw or crook
edness, they led the princess up a ladder into the upper
room.
� There they left her and drew away the ladder.
� The damsel wept bitterly and stretched out her hands
to her father, for she was like to melt away in terror. More
over the heart of the king, her father: went out to his
daughter and he was nigh torn in pieces in the greatness
of his compassion. But he restrained himself and said noth
ing: he was a king and he had given his pledged word:
therefore he must harden his heart.
� Solomon beheld the damsel's deep distress and he sought
to comfort her, saying,
� "Weep not, my daughter, and have no fear. In this
tower no evil shall befall thee and thou shalt lack nothing.
1\1 y white eagle shall visit thee every day and bring thee
abundant and dainty food from the choicest viands that
arc prepared for my table. The birds of heaven shall keep
watch by thy window and make the out-goings of the
morning and evening to praise thee. Moreover I have
ordained that a magic bird, a bird which can speak, shall
come to thee at fixed times and talk with thee and delight
thee.
� "Ever;._r night the stars on high, the eyelids of God. will
_
flash the1r s1gns to thee, and everv morning the wincrs of
the wind will brin!! thee gladdening news from fa� off
2 40
places, and every day the rusliing waves shall bear away
thy longings in their bosom.
' "And though thy young blood seethe within thee like
new wine in a wineskin, yet it shall be that when thou art
fully ripe, and ready to bow down beneath the burden of
thy longings, thy lover and thy redeemer will come at his
appointed time: without warning will he come to thee, and
ere thou understandest the way thereof he will loosen thy
?
boJ?-ds a � thy deliverance from this tower shall be pro
claimed.
' Thus did the King in his wisdom continue to comfort
the damsel, so that her spirit became more tranquil and
at ease.
' She wiped away her tears and said,
' "If it is my fate I must bear it. Do with me as thou wilt,
O King."
' Then all the kings left the tower.
' The gate was shut behind them and locked and bolted
seven times over with seven strong iron bolts and seven
heavy iron locks to every bolt, every lock being sealed
with the seals of the kings and every seal testifi ed to by
witnesses according to law and ordinance, that there be
given no scope for deceit or evil device.
' At the last moment before they went up on the magic
cloak the king of Tyre looked up by chance and beheld
a stout oak tree, some fifty cubits high or more, which
stood close to the tower. Its trunk shot up straight and
smooth from its root upwards and its boughs and foliage
were very high; its topmost branches stretched out near
to the upper windows of the tower.
' The king of Tyre whispered into Solomon's ear and
said,
' "Would it not be well, 0 King, to command that this
oak tree be cut down� Why should it be left as a snare to
the damsel, or an excuse to any that seck to cavil? "
241
� King Solomon looked for a moment on the tree, and he
said,
' "\Vhat dost thou see amiss? Let it stand where it is and
let its foliage gladden the damsel's hean. Why need we
deny her this little pleasure? Moreover the tree top will
serve as a resting place for my eagle when it cometh to
bring food to the damsel, and from the tree top it can pass
her food through the window."
� Then Solomon and the kings and all their following
went up on the magic cloak and were lifted high above
the island; and the damsel, the daughter of the king of
Aram, was left in God's keeping alone in the tower in the
depth of the forest encompassed by the wide places of the
stormy ocean.
( iii )
� Many, many days she remained shut up in the upper

room of the tower. Day followed day without change or
variety, except that, by the King's command, the white
eagle used to visit her and bring to her window or to the
roof of the tower her daily portion from the King's viands.
! Each day about the time of the eagle's· coming, she
would go up to the roof and look out over the sea until in
the sunshine a small fluttering speck could be seen on the
horizon. It grew larger and larger until it was seen to have
wings and a beak and the appearance of a hawk. It was
the white eagle. It used to come down to•the damsel on
the roof or alight on the upper branches of the oak tree,
and gi,·e her her food. Then it would return by the way
it came. Thus used the eagle to do every day.
� Sometimes at Solomon's bidding a magic bird would
come to the oak tree, a tame parrot with speckled feathers
and bald head and crooked beak. It used to perch on a
branch near the window in the tower, proclaiming its
2 42
arrival in a raucous voice, like a saw cutting through dry
wood, and calling out,
! "Here am I, 0 princess! Here am I ! "
! Then the princess would open the window and welcome
him cheerfully and, as if to a human being, she would talk
to him according to her mood, sometimes jokingly and
sometimes seriously.
! The damsel would ask and the parrot reply; and if the
parrot answered plainly the damsel would dance for joy
and clap her hands; but if he talked foolishly, or perverse
ly, she would show her anger and frown at him and shake
a little fist at him, a fist no bigger than a fig; or she would
put out her sweet tongue at him in mockery. At the sight
of this insult the parrot would rouse himself and burst into
shrieks of rage and fury; and when his temper had ex
hausted itself he would spread his wings and disappear.
! The princess, seeing that signs and wonders were com
ing to pass as King Solomon had foretold, put her trust
in the King and in his words of comfort, and she was no
more distressed. She dwelt alone, hidden away in her
silent domain like a pearl in its shell. She sated her soul
with the near and distant sights and sounds, the airy clouds
and the rolling waves and the rustling leaves. They pene
trated into her being as brightness entereth into the heart
of a pomegranate. In the silence of the tower she grew into
womanhood and her sweetness dailv increased. And when
the sun shone upon her she seemed to herself like a ripe
cluster of grapes on the vine, and of a sudden she found
herself asking,
! "When cometh the grape gatherer? Why tarry the steps
of him that treadeth out the grapes? "
( iv )
� In those days in the great and busy city of Sidon, there

2 43
dwelt a Hebrew whose name was Malkishua. He was a
rich and diligent merchant and a leader among the people.
He belonged to the tribe of Zebulun, but, many years�
before, when he was still young and when David was King
of Israel, he had come to the gates of Sidon as a fugitive
and an exile. By his industry he won prosperity in his city
of refuge. He took to himself a wife such as his heart de
sired, a simple dove, the tenderly nurtured daughter of a
man from the tribe of Naphthali, who also dwelt in Sidon.
He built himself a house and made Sidon his home; and
he became a citizen of that country.
� He prospered greatly and his wealth became abundant:
he heaped up riches and possessions and bought very many
slaves. Blessing crowned all his labours and his merchan
dise spread far abroad; his caravans of camels he sent to
the ends of the earth and his ships to distant coasts, to the
islands of Greece and Tarshish and Crete; and his fame
spread abroad as one of the greatest merchants in the land.
� Kings and nobles paid him honour, for they perceived
how wide was his knowledge, how constant his spirit, and
how great his probity. They committed their affairs into
his hands and behaved towards him in friendliness. There
fore many and great people desired to know him, and
from far and near they came early to await him at his
gate. His generous spirit suffered him to turn no man
away, and he stretched out a hand to help all that stumbled.
And in his courtyard he built a dwelling place as a lodging
and refuge to any that fled to him from Judea, or that
was in exile, or persecuted, or oppressed and in misery,
even though they were fugitives from the wrath of kings
and princes. For of his own knowledge he well knew the
soul of the persecuted, their afflictions and their home
lessness.
� Fcw knew the story of his adventures before he came to
Sidon, for Malkishua had cast a veil over them. Howbeit
244
they were wonderful in their manifold variety and chang
ing fortune.
� In the pride of his youth he forsook his father's house
and boldly set out, athirst for adventure in new and distant
places. When he heard that Joab had summoned his
soldiers to battle against Aram he made haste to join the
army; and he fought with all his might and performed
many acts of valour. He had the heart of a tiger and he
knew no fear. Wherever the battle waxed hottest thither
Malkishua sped with his sword and his bow.
� In one of these battles he shot a well-aimed arrow
through the heart of a son of the king of Aram, and he
gained glory as a warrior. And as was his courage so was
his sagacity. His heart was an unfailing fount of wiliness.
Seven times a day sore peril beset him, yet he escaped un
hurt. Many times was he captured in battle, yet he escaped
through his shrewdness. Once he was seized and brought
before the king of Aram, and but a step separated him
from death; but again his cunning availed him so that he
made mock of his captors and escaped.
� In the end his spirit led him to join with such as con
spired against King David. He no more gave obedience to
the King of Judah, and he summoned the people to rebel.
!�ere was no conspiracy against David which he did not
)0111 .
� Henceforth his dwelling place was in the wilderness, in
clefts of the rocks, in caves and in holes beneath the earth,
whence he used to steal forth to stir up the people, with
his face disguised for fear of his pursuers.
� When Sheba the son of Bichri lifted up his hand against
David, among the first to join him was Malkishua; and
when this last conspiracy failed he fled and wandered
in the wilderness and in strange cities for many days.
� And to keep himself alive he scorned no manner of
labour, and he served harsh and cruel masters and had his
2 45
fill of gall and wormwood. f:Ie end� re � every kind. of
weariness and shame. But no toil or affi1ct10n crushed h1m:
rather was he purified in the crucible of suffering and dis
tress. Though his stormy and fiery spirit abated, his will
grew hard as the Shamir and his understanding became
sharp as a whetted razor.
� One day Malkishua entered the gates of Sidon - a man
who had known bitterness to the full and who was hard
ened by adventure and sorely tried by experience, yet a
man of wide knowledge and of shrewdness and resource
seven times greater than of old. His back was like an iron
band, his hand was a trusty weapon, his eyes shot fonh
bolts touched with the acid of derision, and his hean was
a storehouse of wisdom and a well of deep understanding.
� He beheld the city of Sidon, the trafficker of the nations,
with its busy, noisy throng and its merchandise and trade;
and it seemed good in his sight to establish himself therein
and to unleash his strength and his shrewdness in traffick
ing and merchandise. And thus did he do. Prosperity met
him, and he waxed great and powerful.
� The fame of Malkishua reached even to King David in
Jerusalem. Cenain evil-minded counsellors, to prove their
zeal for David and his throne, incited the King against
him saying,
' "Behold, Malkishua, he that troubled thy throne from
his youth up, hath made himself strong in Sidon; and his
house is become a nest for every rebel and conspirator,
and a refuge for all that would disturb the country's peace.
Now, therefore, speak to the king of Sidon (Is not he
thine ally, thy neighbour and thy well wisher? ) that he
deli\·cr him into thy hand."
� But David was old. He, too, had known a life filled with
care, and he now desired peace for all his people. There
fore he gave no heed to the voice of them that whispered
in his ear, but rather rebuked them, saying,
246
! "Let us not take account of the sins of youth. I call to
remembrance the faithfulness of Malkishua in his youth,
how he devoted himself in battle for the honour of his
people, and won himself glory as a warrior. He was a man
of valour, and his right hand was a right hand of righteous
ness. If like other men he went astray in the time of youth,
hath he not already atoned for his misdeeds by years of
wandering and exile? Moreover I hear that he is a source
of strength and security to the Israelites which dwell in
Sidon, for the honour that falleth to him falleth to them
also. Trouble him not. Let him rest in peace and let him
prosper in a strange city and bring honour to God's name
beyond the coasts of Israel."
! Nevertheless while King David lived Malkishua re
frained from making pilgrimage to Jerusalem or to the
land of Judah, nor did he journey thither for the sake of
business or in pursuit of trade, lest he give occasion to his
adversaries, or lest the aged King hear thereof and it dis
please him. Yet such was his longing after God and the
festivals of Israel that he used to pay his vows and send his
freewill offerings to the great high place in Gibeon by the
hands of his messengers and stewards in Judea. Thus upon
the altar of God and upon His priests and upon the poor
of His people they bestowed rich gifts from the hand of
Malkishua, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Likewise in time of need, when there was drought in
Israel or any plague or trouble, 1\hlkishua was first to send
succour to the distressed, and the name of Malkishua be
came a blessing in the mouth of many people.
! After Solomon had built the Temple of God and pro
claimed peace and safety to all throughout the land, Mal
kishua submitted in loyalty to the house of David, and
every year he went up to Jerusalem and offered many
vows and freewill offerings. Howbeit he came not near
to the King's palace nor did he look upon the face of King
2 47
Solomon, lest the King recall the things of the past and
show displeasure.
� Moreover he abstained from any business in the land of
Aram and he took heed lest he set foot within its borders,
for he feared the vengeance of the king of Aram who had
not yet forgotten the arrow ·which slew his son in battle.
!\1alkishua well knew that he would find no pity if he fell
into the hand of those who sought his life.
� So J\lalkishua abode in Sidon in peace and tranquillity.
He looked well to the ways of his business and enjoyed
riches and honour and power, and there was none to make
him afraid.
� But with all his tranquillity and all his power he could
not escape the hand of misfortune.
� Of a sudden the clear light of his untroubled life was
overcast. The delicately nurtured wife of his youth, the
glory of his house and the mother of his only son, was
snatched from him. One day while she was in a boat on
the sea her foot slipped, and she fell into the water and
found a grave in the depths of the sea.
� Ever after that day sorrow rested heavily on the hean of
Malkishua. He abjured all pleasures, the joys of Sabbath
and feasting ceased. He even made an end of his visits to
Jerusalem, the Holy City, and came no more within its
gates, as had been his custom year by year.
� What alone assuaged his heavy sorrow was the strong
love which he bore to his son, the young and motherless
child, Nathaniah. On him he poured out the fulness of his
affection. He nurtured him most tenderly and guarded
him as the apple of his eye.
� The child grew to manhood, stalwart in limb, intel
ligent, ready with his hands, and goodly to look upon:
t�ere was none like him among all the young men of the
city. And Nathaniah stood before his father in all his
youthful strength and became his right hand in all that he
2 48
did. The father saw that his son was a seemly youth and a
blessing to him, and he gave him a share in the charge over
his household and his possessions.
! And in all his ways Nathaniah acted wisely and circum
spectly, with wisdom and resource, so that his father re
joiced in him and loved him the more. Naught did he with
hold from him, save that he suffered him not to travel in
his ships, lest he suffer mishap as did his mother in the
treacherous seas. In his love for him and in his anxiety for
his safety he watched over him and held him closely.
! Though every daughter of Sidon longed after him in
her heart and thought of him both waking and dreaming,
the heart of Nathaniah went not after them; for none of
them did he find to his mind nor did his father urge him
to marry. So that Nathaniah grew to manhood with heart
untouched.
! One day a ship made ready to sail from Sidon to Tarshish

laden with wheat and oil and wine, the merchandise of
Malkishua; and it was sent by the hand of a faithful
servant. Malkishua and his son went down to the shore, as
their custom was, to examine the ship and to give their
last instructions.
! Now the days were the latter days of harvest, and when
they came to the shore they beheld a company of Israel
irish youths, from Sidon and from the cities round about,
going down to the shore in joy and gladness, to the sound
of drums and flutes and cymbals. Their faces were turned
to a ship which was bound for the city of Acre. And from
Acre their purpose was to go up to Jerusalem, there to
keep the Feast of Tabernacles and rejoice before God.
! Nathaniah saw their rejoicing. He was seized with a like
spirit. A longing burned within him to see the City of God
with his own eyes, come what may. He vehemently urged
2 49
his father to let him go up to Jerusalem and fulfil his hean's
desire.
' The hean of Malkishua trembled: with pleading in his
voice he answered,
' "Thy wish, my son, shall be fulfilled. Only, my son, go
not by sea, tempting God. By dry land shalt thou go. In
yet a few days a caravan of camels will set out, and do thou
join thyself with them."
' But in his impatience Nathaniah answered,
' "Nay! Nay' my father. I must go by sea, and now, at
once! Is God the God of the dry land alone, and not the
God of the sea ! "
' J\Ialkishua could n o more withstand the pleading o f his
only son: he saw how he was burning with the fire of long
ing. His compassion was stirred, and he suffered him to
go according to his wish.
' Yet in his abounding care for his son's welfare he en
trusted him to the care of the faithful servant of his house
who was travelling in the ship, and he straitly charged him
never to lose sight of Nathaniah until he came to the city
of Acre where the ship was to anchor awhile and where
Nathaniah was to be set ashore and given into the care of
a certain friend of Malkishua, his agent in Acre. And Mal
kishua sent a letter to his friend in Acre beseeching him to
be eyes and hands to his son during his sojourn in the Holy
Land and to watch over him and convey him in his care to
the City of God and there to take account of his going out
and his coming in, and, when the days of the feast should
be accomplished, to restore him speedily to his father's
house by the first of Malkishua's ships which should leave
Acre for Sidon.
' And that alone did not suffice Malkishua. He ran to his
house and fetched thence a heavy bag of silver weighing
seven talents, and a great and precious ruby weighing
twenty drachmas the most carefully guarded jewel in his
250
treasury and his most cherished possession. These he put
into Nathaniah's hands, saying,
! "Shall the son of Malkishua go up a first time to see the
face of God with empty hands! This surely shall not be.
Therefore, my son, take these as an offering from my hand
to the Temple of God: the silver shalt thou give for a
whole burnt offering during the days of the Feast and the
jewel as an adornment for the veil of the Holy of Holies."
! Yet before parting with the jewel he hesitated. He re
vealed the storm that was raging within him. With tears
in his eyes he gazed on the ruby quivering in his hand, and
with a trembling voice and in broken sentences he said,
! "My son, seest thou this jewel? To me it is the most pre
cious thing in the world, a sacred relic. Like the morning
star it first shone forth on thy mother's head at her betroth
al, and it gleamed bright on her bosom on every feast and
holy day. It is a unique and precious stone, and mys
terious power lieth hidden within it. It hath not its like in
kings' treasuries. For long it lay concealed in the vaults of
an Indian ruler, guarded by a great serpent; but in the end,
by wondrous and diverse paths, it reached my treasury.
Henceforth let it shine on the veil of the Holy Place with
in the Temple of God: let it be both an ever burning light
in memory of the soul of thy mother, purest among wo
men, and an everlasting and never drying tear shed for a
bright, pure life untimely dimmed."
! The ruby passed from father to son. And as it gleamed
and quivered on Nathaniah's palm it seemed to be a divine
tear, a symbol of universal sorrow.
! Nathaniah silently took the dedicated silver and the pre
cious stone and hid them in the leathern girdle about his
loins. Malkishua's anxiety for his son quieted : now sure
ly must God command his good angels to protect his son
in his going out and his corning in, since he was his father's
messenger and bent on a sacred errand to the Temple of
25 1
God: was not Nathaniah occupied in God's business and
obeying his father's command?
� Malkishua embraced and kissed his son again and again
and sent him away in peace.
� Quickly the ship parted from the shore, bearing away
Nathaniah the son of Malkishua to the far spreading sea.
Nathaniah, in youthful singlemindedness, little knew that
while he felt naught but bounding pleasure and happiness
at the sight of the open sea, his aged father stood rooted
to the shore, looking after the disappearing ship in fear and
deep sorrow with eyes filled with tears, while his lips trem
bled in silent prayer.
(v)
� A father's feelings never err. The ship had not long left
the shore before God hurled a stormy wind upon the sea
and set it in a ferment. The heavily laden ship was tossed
about from wave to wave like a basket of straw. Steers
men and sailors soon grew too weary to guide and control
it; every heart melted and every hand grew feeble. Every
man in the ship called loudly upon his god; yet the storm
abated not but grew seven times stronger.
' One after another sails were torn to shreds, ropes were
snapped and masts thrown down and broken, killing many
as they fell. The sailors saw and despaired. They sought
to lighten the ship, and they threw the half of their lad
ing into the sea: sacks of corn, barrels of wine, and jars of
oil wrestled together among the foaming waves or danced
round the ship like satyrs, rising and falling and crashing
against one another.
' The sailors saw that no hope was left: the waves piled
themselves seven times higher against the lightened ship
and made it dance as though in cruel play. Still worse, the
freight which was thrown into the sea was ofttimes hurled
2 52
against the sides of the ship, breaking holes therein, holes
which could not be blocked up. Into these water rushed
tumultuously.
� All in the ship felt the terror of death. They ran to and
fro, stricken with panic, their eyes wild with fear, none
knowing what to do, so that in the tumult and confusion
the hand of every man was raised against his fellow.
� The captain of the ship, seeing that nothing could save
it, bethought himself of his master's son who had been giv
en into his care, and he devised means of helping him. He
bound him with a thick rope to two inflated waterskins,
and round his neck he tied a bottle of wine. Should the
ship sink, he thought, the skins will sustain him awhile on
the face of the sea and he may, by chance, be saved.
� Others in the ship likewise sought how they might save
every man his own soul. Some stripped off their clothes
and bound inflated waterskins about their loins, and others
tied themselves to wooden beams and rafters, or to empty,
tightly sealed jars and barrels, or to anything that would
float.
� The high waves continued to break in upon the ship un
til they filled it to the brim.
� At last the tempest burst into a great and bitter cry, a cry
of devastation and doom, and the ship with everything in
it was swallowed by the deep. Nathaniah alone, and some
few others from the ship, remained afloat on the raging
waters; but the storm soon dragged them apan in every
direction out of each other's sight.
� So perished the ship in this day of wrath, leaving 1�0 trace
behind it.
( vi )
� What befell the other folk from the ship we know not.
As for Nathaniah the son of Malkishua, he was b,)ruc for
2 53
two whole days on the shoulders of the waves, resting be
tween the two waterskins like a baby between its mother's
breasts. No food or drink passed his lips, for the waves had
buffeted him into senselessness. By the morning of the
third day the storm ceased and the healing sun arose over
the sea like an overwhelming spirit of joy.
� 1\'"athaniah's eyes opened, and he found himself resting
between the waterskins in the midst of wide and endless
reaches of golden water which rippled in gladness round
about him. He recalled the tempest and all that had befal
len the ship and them that were in it, and his soul fainted
in him. His heart wept and moaned for the faithful ser
vant of his father's house who even in face of death's ter
rors had steadfastly served his master and made it his first
care to find for Nathaniah the means of escape.
� And Nathaniah vowed a vow, saying,
� "If God will save me from the sea and bring me back in
peace to my father's house, I will gather together the wid
ows and orphans of them that perished with the ship and,
with God's help, I will tend them in kindness and com
passion all my days."
� The sun warmed Nathaniah and his distress of mind be
gan to pass. His strength revi\·ed and he opened the bottle
which was about his neck and drank of the wine; and his
eyes were lightened and strength returned into his hands.
His fingers groped about his body, and he found that his
girdle was still about his loins: naught in it was missing. He
saw in this a good omen that he would still go up to the
Temple of God and pay his father's vows.
� Xathaniah lay between the waterskins, rising and falling
on the surface of the golden sea like a child in a cradle. His
face was tumed to the shining heavens and his heart was
full of prayer and hope.
� Suddenly, high above him, appeared a winged creature,
like a mighty hawk, all of it white. It flew swiftly and hov-
2 54
ered above him in the blue firmament, its feathers shining
like white silk in the dazzling sunshine. For a moment it
stayed still as though it were suspended by a hidden thread
between sky and sea. Then, as though the thread had
snapped, the hawk fell straight towards him like an arrow
shot from on high.
! Before Nathaniah knew it, this great and mighty hawk
with its widespreading pinions was fluttering over him,
and near to his face he saw claws as sharp as the Shamir
and a savage beak of burnished flint. Deadly terror seized
him. He tried to raise his arm to protect himself against
the great creature. Bur that instant the hawk's beak struck
thrice at the rope which was about Nathaniah's loins. The
rope snapped, he was freed from his bonds, and in a mo
ment the white hawk rose on high, powerful and mighty,
and within its twisted claws it tightly gripped its prey, the
fainting youth.
! This hawk was none other than Solomon's gr.:at white
eagle. Flying to the island to bring food to the imprisoned
damsel, the daughter of the king of Aram, it saw Nathan
iah floating on the sea, and it swooped down and carried
him away.
( vii )
! The eagle flew away with him and brought him to the
secret island. It left him there beneath a tree and flew away.
! When Nathaniah recovered and opened his eyes he saw
that he had been dropped beneath a sycamore tree. Scat
tered about him were dry, unsavoury figs which had fal
len from the tree. Stretching out a shaking arm he plucked
off some figs and ate them. He quenched his thirst with
the wine in his bottle, and his spirit revived and he recov
ered his strength.
! He recalled the shipwreck and how he had floated on the
255
sea and how the terrible white hawk had come down upon
him; and it all seemed like a horrible dream. He scarce
knew whether it had happened or not.
� When his garments were dry he wandered through the
forest in ·which he found himself in the hope of finding a
cave or a hole or some other hiding place wherein to spend
the night. He went hither and thither in the pathless wood
gazing at everything around him.
� Towards nightfall he came to a high hill, smothered with
rugged rocks and thick bushes, with an abundance of wild
mulberries, grapes and all manner of green herbs growing
wild; while on the crest of the hill was a dense forest. The
sound of trickling water reached his ears, and he found a
stream of pure water flowing out of the hill in a hidden
place amid mossy stones. He ate of the mulberries and
stored many in his garment; and he quenched his thirst
with water from the spring and filled his bottle.
� Thus refreshed he climbed the hill, leaping over rocks
and forcing a way through the bushes, intent on reaching
the forest at the top of the hill.
� The sun sank behind the trees. Nathaniah found himself
standing on the crest of the hill in an open space within
the thick forest, a very ancient forest, cool and shady, ex
ceedingly pleasant; a n d he was moved to lie down on the
grass to rest in the shade of a luxuriant fir tree, for he was
greatly wearied by climbing the hill and by the heat.
� But while he was making ready to lie down, hi� ear
caught the sound of a slight crackling, like the sound of
dry branches trodden on by foot. He looked up and saw
a dainty han leaping through the forest in the distance,
disappearing and reappearing among the trees. He pur
sued after it, following in its tracks as it turned about hith
er and thither.
� Suddenly as he ran after it he came out into a wide open
space flooded with the glow of the setting sun; and to his
2 56
amazement he beheld a high tower looming high above
him, with its long shadow spreading across the grass like
a black carpet and its top stretched heavenward like a
haughty neck.
� For a moment Nathaniah rejoiced in the thought that he
was come to some inhabited place; but as he looked closer
he saw that the tower stood solitary, that its walls were
blind and windowless, and that its single gate was heavily
bolted and barred.
� The tower stood there, a mystery and a marvel: it was
even terrifying. Must not some evil be bound up with such
a tower as this? He pondered the mystery and determined
to act warily and to do nothing before he had examined the
tower well and spied out the region round about. Who
could tell whether it might not be a hidden snare? Perhaps
it was a secret haunt of murderers or brigands, or a resort
of wizards and magicians.
� Meanwhile the sun had set. Thick darkness covered the
island and sevenfold darkness filled the forest. Solid black
ness crouched beneath every bush and tree, filling every
hollow, lmd lurking behind every mound and hillock.
From the depth of the forest burst forth all manner of
sounds, each more strange than the other, whisperings and
rustlings making answer the one to the other, moanings
and roarings, wailings of wild beam, the sighing of night
birds and the howling of jackals. The whole forest was
alive.
� Nathaniah's skin tingled from fright: putting out of
mind all thought of the hart or the tower, he crept into a
rock-cleft which he had seen while it was still light, to
hide himself from the cold and terrors of night. He blocked
up the entrance to his retreat with stones, lay on the ground
and fell into a deep sleep.
� Heavy night clouds descended low, groping in the dark
ness like blind men and spreading tawny sheets over the
2 57
forest wherein two lonely souls lay sleeping: the damsel
in the upper room of the tower, and Nathaniah in the cleft
of the rock.
( viii )
� Morning came, and myriads of fluttering wings and

twittering birds filled the forest with a j oyous chorus; their
sound came forth from every tree and bush, and their
mighty song rose up to heaven. A hail of golden rain and
pearls lay on the dewy sward, and the forest trees rose
sleek and verdant, their heads basking in the sunshine and
their feet dipped in the sprinkled grass. The whole forest
gave out shuddering breaths of joy.
! The shrill notes of the birds awakened Nathaniah. He
rose up and went out into the forest, feeling full of strength
and youthful might. Sleep had invigorated his bones and
the gladsome morning inspired him with new energy. He
remembered the mysterious tower which he had seen in
the forest clearing. He returned thither and chose out a
place where he could remain hidden in a thicket behind an
outcrop of rock.
� As he sat there watching, he vowed that cost what it
might he would not stir from thence or rest content until
he had discovered the tower's uttermost secret.
� While he was peering through a hole in the bush with
eyes fixed on the tower, a sound reached him from the
direction of the tower, a raucous sound, a rasping voice
like nothing human; and it was saying,
� "Here am I! Here am I! Is it well with thee, 0 princess?"
� Nathaniah marvelled, for he could see nothing.
� Suddenly his eyes were opened wide in sevenfold aston
ishment and fastened themselves like nails to a lattice win
dow high up in the side of the tower, opposite the oak
258
tree; for there, in simple beauty and youthful charm, stood
a fair damsel, graceful and bright-eyed as any goddess.
! Through the lattice her face shone with the innocence
and purity of the moon. For a moment she stood silent and
still, looking towards the top of the oak tree.
! Then she put out her head and, looking at the topmost
branches, answered with a sweet voice,
! "It is well with me, beloved parrot! And thou, 0 wan
ton one, how is it with thee? "
! Again the raucous voice issued from among the leaves,
screeching,
! "Peace, peace, 0 princess! "
! A little laugh came from the damsel's lips, yet her eyes
were filled with sorrow. As she went on speaking her voice
grew tender and languishing:
! "Is this all that thou hast to say to-day, my parrot?
Hadst thou no news to bring me? Perchance thou canst
tell me whether I have many more days of confinement
in this desolate island? Or whether my redeemer will ever
come to me? 0! my parrot, answer me, I pray: will he in
deed come? "
! And the strange voice screeched,
! "He will surely come, 0 princess! He will surely come,
he will surely come! "
! The damsel sighed bitterly:
! "Alack, dear comforter: why doth he delay so long?
Why are his steps so slow? Lo, day after day, my eyes grow
dim from waiting for him, and in the night my heart crieth
to him out of the deep, Why doth my redeemer not come?
Why doth he not come?"
! And the voice answered,
! "He cometh, 0 princess, he cometh! Blessed is he that
cometh! "
! She pressed the parrot closely and persistently:
! "If, as thou sayest, he is really coming, what signs hath
259
he shown? Why doth he hide his face from me? Why doth
he not let me see his eyes or hear his voice? Why have I
not seen him nor heard him ? "
! And from the tree top the voice screeched,
! "0 princess, I have seen him! I have heard him ! "
! The face o f the princess flushed a s she cried out,
! "Hast thou really seen him face to face? Hast thou even
heard his voice? Where is he? Far off or near? "
! "He is far off, 0 princess, and he is near! Peace, peace
to him that is far off and to him that is near! "
! "But even if he is near, darling bird," said the damsel,
almost fainting in her anxiety, "how dare I expect him?
Will God give him wings to fly up hither? Or hath he such
mighty arms as will cut through locks and bolts of iron?
How can he enter my chamber, how can he reach me if
I am tightly shut up at the top of this high tower? Canst
thou tell me that, wonderful bird?"
! In answer carne a rustling from the top of the tree, and
from his hiding place Nathaniah beheld a strange bird
fluttering here and there above the tree. Then, of a sud
den, it carne flying straight towards him and alighted a
bove the thicket behind which he lay hidden, and it ut
tered floods of screeches and seemed to pour out all its
words over Nathaniah's head:
! "Here am I! Here am I! He cometh! He cometh! Blessed
is he that cometh! Peace! Peace! "
! And, having exhausted itself, it spread out its wings and
disappeared in the depths of the forest.
! In his amazement Nathaniah crouched more closely be
hind the bush, trembling like a leaf. It all seemed an incom
prehensible dream: he could not trust the sight of his eyes
or the hearing of his ears. Who had built the tower in this
awe-inspiring place? Who was this damsel, this princess,
who was hidden there? Still more mysterious: what was
this bird which spoke after such a fashion? Nathaniah had
2 60
heard of birds which talked, but never before had he seen
or heard so wonderful a bird with his own eyes and ears.
He was no coward nor fearer of magic things, yet when
the bird came screeching above him, how his bones had
fluttered ! He had held in his breath and all but died of
terror.
� Little did Nathaniah know that still greater marvels were
awaiting him.
( ix )
� When he had a little recovered from his amazement he
looked again from his hiding place in the hope of seeing
the damsel's face at the lattice window; but she had dis
appeared, and it was as though the sun were overcast at
noonday, and gloom oppressed Nathaniah's heart. He re
called the words which passed between the damsel and the
bird, and he wondered who the pale bright-eyed beauty
could be whom he had seen at the window, and who could
have been so cruel and hard-heaned as to shut her up in
the tower.
� While his thoughts were still wrapt up in the damsel,
his eye beheld her again. This time she did not appear at
the window but on the roof of the tower. There, high up
on the tower, she walked in the bright light of the sun, re
flecting the sun's light like a white cloud floating through
the blue firmament.
� Soon she stood still and, shading her eyes with her right
hand, she gazed toward the western horizon; and in the far
distance between sea and sky a small speck could be seen.
As it came nearer it grew in size until wings and beak could
be distinguished. It was a great hawk, terrible in appear
ance and wholly white. It alighted on the roof of the tower
and stood beside the damsel.
� Nathaniah saw it and his hean grew numb. He scarce
.2 6 1
restrained himself from crying out in fear and amazement.
Was not this the same mighty winged creature which had
taken him up out of the sea and brought him here? Nath
aniah crouched mute in his hiding place with eyes fixed
intently on the damsel to see what the end might be.
! The great white eagle, after it had given to the damsel her
daily portion of food according to the command of King
Solomon, spread out its wings and flew away in the direc
tion by which it had come. Likewise the damsel, after
walking to and fro, again disappeared from sight, and
again it seemed to Nathaniah as though the sun was
clouded over.
! Though he waited for a very long space of time she did
not return: Great grief assailed him; gloomy and desolate
he sat in his hiding place, while his feelings stirred within
him like a storm-tossed sea. From the moment when he
first saw her high up in the tower and heard her sweet
voice, his heart and his spirit had known no rest.
! When Nathaniah could no more remain patiently
watching, he cautiously left his hiding place and ventured
to examine the tower more closely.
! Keeping out of sight and making no sound, he went
round the tower and examined it from every side. Seven
times did he creep round it stealthily, like any thief, on the
chance of finding some door or hole or any means of en
trance. But his hopes were disappointed. From the high
windows down to the ground, the walls were solid ma
sonry. The windows were far out of reach, for none could
climb the smooth and flawless walls. The single entrance
to the tower was so tightly shut and locked and barred and
sealed seven times over that not even a Samson or a Go
liath could prevail over them.
! Yet Nathaniah did not give up hope. Seven and seventy
schemes did he devise whereby to find out the secret of tht'
tower.
' He thought that the tree, perchance, would be a help:
it was very close to the tower and its boughs reached to the
window at which the damsel had stood. But when he saw
how high was the tree and how smooth its trunk, he put
aside the thought: for who would dare to climb a tree the
like of this and not fear to fall and break his back? The stat
ure of the mighty oak tree, its boughs stretching out so far
above him, and the dense blackness of its foliage, filled
him with dread.
� It stood there, stalwart and dour, a lone and trusty guard
ian, as though proclaiming,
� "No foot shall venture hither: whosoever draweth near
shall not go unpunished."
' Howbeit, Nathaniah forgot not the tree, but kept it for
a fitting time.
(x)
� Meanwhile weariness and hunger and the happenings of

the morning had overcome him. He went down to the
wood where the mulberry trees were and refreshed himself
and drank from the water of the spring; and he lay down
beneath a bush to rest and to consider what he could do
next.
� All his thoughts and his feelings were in the tower with
the damsel concealed therein: not for a moment did her
loveliness leave him: it penetrated beneath his closed eye
lids, and her appeal still rang in his ears:
' "Why doth my redeemer not come? Why doth he de
lay so long?"
' Nathaniah's heart suddenly surged within him and a daz
zling vision smote him:
' "Can it be that it is I who am her redeemer, and that God
hath destined me to rescue her? Was it not for this very
purpose that God brought to pass His wonders and storms
2 63
and wrecked the ship and brought me hither on the wings
of an eagle? "
� He held tightly to these imaginations of his heart; and he
asked himself further:
� "Bur if it is the finger of God, why hath He begun the
task and left it unfinished? What gain is it to bring me thus
far if the tower is tightly shut up and I know not how to
force my way into it or reach the imprisoned damsel? How
can I save her when she is shut up inside an inner chamber
in the top of the tower, confined behind seven bolts and
seven locks and seven seals? "
� Again gloom and bitterness overcame him and his heart
uttered his unspoken plaint:
� "Why, 0 God, didst thou not command the eagle to
set me down on the tower's roof and not on the ground
below? Or why didst thou not make me equal to the par
rot, so that I might speak with the damsel face to face ac
cording to my soul's desire? Would that I were even as
one of the little birds which make their nests beside her
window and come and chirp to her in her chamber and on
the roof above whenever they will! "
� But never did his mind rela·x from weaving devices how
to make his way into the tower and lay bare its secret.
Sometimes he thought of breaking in by night, and some
times of boldlv standing below her window and calling
to her and talking with her, in the hope that she would
solve the riddle or even let down a rope to draw him up to
her.
� Yet no device sufficed him: not from cowardice did he
withhold his hand but from fear lest in his ignorance he
bring peril upon the damsel.
� At last, wearied in mind and body, he sought rest in sleep.
� He found himself once more floating on the wide sea,
rocked like a child in a cradle, gazing into the golden sun
shine. Before his eyes appeared the form of a woman rising
2 64
out of the depths of the sea. In the crown that gleamed on
her head blazed a great ruby. The woman was his mother,
and the ruby was the precious stone which was in his
girdle.
! He tried to call out to her, but he could make no sound.
He tried to stretch out his arms to her, but he could not,
for they were bound by ropes to the waterskins. More
over he was being drawn farther and farther away from
the vision: a little while and it disappeared altogether.
! In his distress his soul cried out,
! "Mother, mother, do not desert me!"
! In desperation he tried with his remaining strength to
free his hands from the ropes, and, lo, before he had even
made the attempt his bonds melted away.
! But it was too late: the longed for vision was gone, and
Nathaniah's arms fell back powerless.
! He suddenly bethought himself and put his hand to the
ruby which was in his girdle, thinking,
! "Is it still there? "
! He felt for it and, finding it, his heart rejoiced. He took
it out and �,as minded to bring it close to his eyes and sat
isfy them with its splendour. But his hand would not obey
him: it seemed to be bound to his loins.
! He wondered what could have bound him a second time,
and, bending his head, he saw that it was no rope-it was a
serpent: a writhing speckled serpent had him tight in its
coils. Its head was stretched towards his face, its eyes gazed
into his eyes, and, alack! between its teeth in its foul gaping
mouth - was the sacred ruby!
! Yet, wonderful to relate, the more he gazed into the ser
pent's eyes the more his fears abated. The manner in which
it looked upon him proved that it was no enemy: had
Nathaniah's hands been free he would not have feared to
hold it by the neck. The serpent's coils slackened little by
little until it seemed but to embrace him in friendliness.
2 65
This could only mean that the serpent sought his welfare.
Yet how had the ruby come into the serpent's mouth ?
� Before he could find any answer the serpent turned its
head aside, and Nathaniah, with eyes helplessly following
the ruby like a needle drawn by the loadstone, and dread
ing lest the precious stone should fall into the water, turned
in the same direction; and, lo, the vision of his mother ap
peared a second time rising out of the golden seas, pure
and glowing as before.
� But she was not now alone. Coming to meet her was
another woman, younger, wrapped in splendour, and
crowned with a wreath of white lilies; and the ruby was
no more on his mother's brow nor in the serpent's mouth,
but on the brow of this younger woman. And she was
none other than the damsel of the tower. Like two god
desses come down to earth the two women approached
each other, and on their lips was the same smile of peace
and on their faces the same look of joy.
� His mother turned her face towards him and, taking the
hand of her younger companion, she beckoned to him as
though inviting him from afar. Her face was agleam with
delight and his eyes could almost see her moving lips and
his ears hear as she whispered,
� "My son! "
� With a heart almost bursting with love and in a voice
strangled with emotion, Nathaniah c:ied out,
� "Mother ' "
! Snapping his bonds asunder and shaking them off with
all his might, he awoke. And, lo, it was a dream.
( xi )
� Alarmed and bemused, Nathaniah sat motionless, his

mind straying along strange paths in some other world,
266
with broken cobwebs of dreams and visions struggling to
gether in remote corners of his memory and floating be
hind his closed eyelids.
! Slowly they melted away and he realized where he was.
He knew that a day of new wonders awaited him, but
what would be their nature he could not guess. Of one
thing his heart assured him: it was the ruby which should
both lead him into adventure and be his protection.
! Was not the truth of his father's words about this jewel
and its secret power already established? Was it not the
ruby which had watched over him and saved him from
drowning in the sea and brought to pass the wonders which
had borne him hither? Must not that be the interpretation
of the twofold dream which he had dreamed about the
ruby?
! Unthinkingly his hand strayed to his girdle: he felt for
it tremblingly. Was all well with the ruby? His fingers
found it, and it was as though a heavy burden were rolled
away.
! He drew out the ruby and gazed on it, holding it most
carefully with the tips of his fingers, amazed at its size and
its shimmering splendours. It was surely a magic stone.
Never had he seen the like in his father's treasury. In shape
it was like a large tear at the point of falling. The more the
eye gazed into its depths the more numerous were the vi
sions of brightness and light which sparkled forth: God
seemed to have bound up within it the sum of all his lu
minous splendours. Was it a tear of divine joy, or the su
preme jewel in the crown of his redemption?
! As Nathaniah feasted his eyes upon the ruby, turning it
over and over, his fingers suddenly trembled, and the ruby
slipped out of his hand and fell into the dense grass. But
as he stooped to recover it, there darted out from a pile of
dead leaves behind him the rounded head of a speckled
serpent. It seized the ruby and fled.
267
� Nathaniah cried out in bitter distress. He leapt to his
feet and ran in pursuit.
( xii )
� Gliding and twisting, the serpent slipped swiftly over

the carpet of fallen leaves between bushes and trees, with
Nathaniah in hot pursuit. If there had been a stone or any
other weapon in his hand he would have crushed the ser
pent's head and so rescued the ruby. But his hands were
empty, and he durst not delay in search of a stone. He
trusted in his swift legs. Never for a moment did he let his
eyes leave the living, writhing rope which sped rustling
and twisting before him. He was consumed with fear lest
it disappear for a moment and the precious stone be lost
for ever.
� Whenever the serpent changed its direction or dipped
into a hollow, and whenever its head disappeared for a
moment in a heap of leaves or in the tall grass, Nathaniah
almost died of fear; yet hope ever revived that, in but a
little while, he would overtake the fugitive.
� But the faster he ran the faster sped the serpent. Never
did the space between them lessen, nor did it grow great
er. It even seemed to Nathaniah that with all their speeding
they never stirred, but that the ground, like a sieve, was
shifted hither and thither beneath them.
� There were times when, to his straining eyes, the wav
ering, speeding serpent seemed to be a writhing column of
smoke, and other times a meandering trickle of water;
then it seemed to be a streak of black lightning, or a flying
seraph hatched out of the cold black fires of the nether
world; then it quickly changed from a fiery dragon into
an earthborn serpent.
� At times it would raise its body upright and turn its head
towards the pursuer, showing the flashing ruby in its
268
opened mouth. But, most marvellous of all, the oftener it
turned its face towards Nathaniah, so much the more did
fear depart from him - like as in the dream. The serpent
seemed no more to be intent on flight, but, rather, to be
hastening like a swift and trusty messenger whose business
was urgent.
� Nathaniah's terror and anxiety gradually abated. No
longer was he hotly pursuing but running quietly forward,
led by the serpent, tranquil in mind and light of foot.
� At last they came out of the forest into the open country.
Turning neither to the right nor to the left, the serpent
glided swiftly towards the oak tree which grew beside the
tower, and, helpless as in a dream, Nathaniah was drawn
in its train.
� Then, before Nathaniah could collect his thoughts, the
serpent had stretched itself taut and, with a mighty leap,
coiled itself round the trunk of the tree and climbed in
great spirals until its head reached the lowest boughs at the
top of the tree trunk. What but a moment ago had been a
smooth and naked column was now, for the third part of
its length, serried with coils like a monstrous screw.
� Petrified with surprise, Nathaniah stood gazing at this
awe-inspiring pillar enwrapped by the serpent's coils, won
dering whether he could climb as high as the serpent and
rescue the ruby; and the serpent looked down towards
him, the ruby blazing between its teeth. In its eyes was a
glance both beseeching and expectant.
� Nathaniah stood rooted to the ground, his gaze fastened
upon the ruby which shimmered with life in the serpent's
jaws. He could see it; but dare he try to reach it? Would
not his courage and his strength fail him?
� Suddenly, in the midst of his doubts and fears, the dam
sel looked out from her window. She did not linger. Her
loveliness shone but for a moment and she quickly with
drew. Had she looked out at him:> Could he now turn back?
2 69
� Some hidden source of strength hurled him forward.
His hands like bands of iron gripped the trunk of the tree,
and he clung to it tightly like a girdle round a man's loins.
( xiii )
! At first Nathaniah's rise was rapid and easy. Cubit by

cubit his strong legs and arms bore him upwards, helped
by two invisible cords - the ruby and the damsel. And
the higher he mounted the more the serpent showed its
pleasure, its flesh quivering and its tail trembling with ea
gerness as though it would urge him onward and share his
struggles.
! But scarce had he climbed half the way than weariness
overcame him. His arms tired and his knees grew feeble,
and the burden of his body grew heavier and heavier. His
utmost strength sufficed but to hold fast to the tree and
creep onward inch by inch; though a great space still re
mained between him and the serpent. Had he still strength
enough to reach it?
! Determined to rise yet higher, come what may, he dug
his finger-nails into the bark, scratching and tearing, until
thev bled; and, above, the ruby beckoned to him from the
serpent's jaws, encouraging aitd commanding:
� "Climb on! Falter not! Yet a little more and thou wilt
prevail' "
! And thus strengthened and encouraged h e persevered.
! Two cubits still remained . . . Still one cubit. . . Still two
handbreadths. . .
! But when the end of the serpent's tail was still a hand
breadth off, his strength came to an end. His hands and feet
were rigid and dead like wood. I-Te could not stir even a
single finger's breadth. The burden of his body had mul
tiplied sevenfold. He gasped for breath. His temples
2 70
clanged like a bell. Sweat poured off him. In a moment his
hands must slip.
! He looked downwards. Panic seized him. The ground
was very far away. Had his struggle been all in vain? Had
he climbed thus far only to be defeated by the last hand
breadth?
! Then, before his senses left him, he put forth the last
atom of his strength. He tightened his grip. He tried to
shift his numbed hands even though it be only by a hair's
breadth. But, as in his dream, his hands would no more obey
him. Every bone in his body knew that if his hand faltered
for a moment he would plunge to the ground.
! His heart was dead with fear. He shut his eyes. And a
cry burst from him:
! "Mother! Come! Help me!"
! All his strength was gone and all his hope. His hands
were losing their hold. Then came the miracle. The ser
pent, which for long had stayed motionless and rigid, now,
as though it had perceived Nathaniah's peril, suddenly
shook itself into life, and its lowest coil dangled round his
hands, like a rope thrust into the hands of a drowning man.
Unawares, Nathaniah's hands clung to the lifeline; and
while he still supposed himself to be holding on with grip
ping legs, the whole weight of his body was impelled up
wards along the serpent's coils.
! At last his body found relief from strain. Easily, as
though he were climbing the rungs of a ladder, he mounted
from coil to coil, while the serpent remained rigid as iron
until Nathaniah reached the lowest bough and set himself
upon it.
! Fear left him. He felt himself secure. All that he now
needed to do was to seize the serpent by the neck and take
the ruby out of its mouth. At all costs he must save the
ruby.
! Lying full length along the bough he stretched out his
271
hand to the serpent. Again and again he tried to take hold
of it, but always the serpent escaped him, each time mov
ing its head fanher away and nearer to the window in the
wall of the tower, while more and more of its length was
left hanging between earth and sky and still fewer of its
coils remained clinging round the tree.
� Nathaniah, closely following the serpent's head, was
drawn gradually and unawares nearer to the end of the
bough over against the window; and the bough, which
ended about a cubit's length short of the window, grew
thinner and thinner and bent beneath his weight until it
was on the verge of snapping.
� Terror reviving in his heart, Nathaniah still groped after
the serpent's head, taking heed not to put too much weight
on the end of the bough. Again and again he reached out
towards the swaying head . . . but always too late.
� At last his hand all but touched the serpent's neck, but
the serpent quickly thrust its head through the window
into the room within; and, with but a single coil of its tail
clinging to the tree, its thick body stretched out between
tree and window like a sloping beam.
� In terror at what might befall the ruby Nathaniah al
most fell off the narrow bough: the ruby was indeed lost
if the serpent dropped it inside the tower. And, impelled
by a hidden hand, hardly conscious of what he was doing,
he slid off his slender branch, hanging by his hands for a
moment between earth and sky; then, quick as thought,
he set one foot on the beamlike body of the serpent and
sprang like a leopard through the window into the cham
ber beyond.
� On the floor lay the flashing ruby, and, before him,
glowed two stanled eyes.
� There she stood, the damsel of his visions and dreams.
Her face was as white as the whiteness of her garments
and her fear rendered her seven times more beautiful.
2 72
! He looked back for an instant at the serpent. It was gone.
It had fulfilled its purpose, and now it was as though it had
never been.
( xiv )
! Their eyes greedily devouring one another, their first

fears and amazement forgotten, Nathaniah and Keziah sat
together on the carpeted floor of the upper chamber, and
like long paned lovers they poured into each other's ears
the story of all that had befallen them and of how they had
been drawn together.
' When night came Keziah took Nathaniah to the roof and
fed him with the dainty food which she had kept for her
evening meal. Then, having prepared him a bed on the
roof, she returned happy and light of heart to her own
chamber, leaving behind the sweet aroma of her presence.
' Deep sleep fell upon Nathaniah; and his dreams beneath
the firmament were sweeter than he had known these many
nights.
' Early next morning they came together again on the
roof. Linked together, with their arms round each other's
neck, they leaned against the parapet, gazing on the newly
_
nsen sun.
' Soon in the far distance they saw the great white eagle
flying towards them. They waved their arms and shouted
greetings and did not cease until it had alighted on the roof.
' They welcomed it with childish delight, and with quick
and practised hands the damsel unloosened the eagle's bur
den. But when she saw that it had brought no more than
f
her single daily onion, she scolded it in pretended anger,
and, heedless o the majesty of the most majestic of all
eagles, she shook at it the finger of reproach and derision,
complaining,
' "Why, great eagle, hast thou brought so little to-day?
2 73
Most niggardly an thou, thou steed of Judah's King!
Knowest thou not that we are now two in the tower? To
day we are two, and two shall we be hencefonh and for
ever! Was it not through thee that this guest came to my
house? Thine, then, it is to provide all his wants. Here he
standeth before thee: is he not a stalwart youth? Go, tell
thy master that I am alone no more; for we are two! Hast
thou heard? Wc are two! Ask all the birds of the dawn and
they will tell thee: We are two. The waves of the sea will
roar from afar: We are two! And all the mountains round
about will echo again and again: We are two! We are
two ! "
! Intoxicated b y love and delight, Keziah suddenly broke
into dancing, encircling Nathaniah with light tripping
steps. Faster and ever faster she danced and swayed before
him, until Nathaniah caught her in his arms and bore her
away to her chamber.
! All this the eagle beheld, yet seemed unseeing. But no
sooner had they disappeared below than it darted upwards
as though it had been scalded. It fluttered for a while above
the roof like a bird caught in a net; then screeching madly
it flew swiftly away.
! That morning when the parrot came to visit the damsel
and to ask after her welfare in its customary fashion, no
answering greeting met its shrieks, no window opened,
and no golden tresses appeared.
( xv )
! Next morning when Nathaniah and Keziah went up to

the roof the eagle came and brought a double ponion of
food, and in their eyes this was a sign and a proof that God
was well pleased and that God had blessed their love; and
they rejoiced with great joy. Keziah could have embraced
the eagle in her joy, but its gloomy frown and flinty beak
2 74
restrained her, and her eyes gave thanks to the eagle from
a distance.
� That day the eagle remained aloof and gave no glance
of greeting to the damsel but stood apart with a dignity
greater than aforetime. But every morning from that day
forth, the eagle brought a double portion from all the dain
ty viands of the King's table.
� So Nathaniah and Keziah abode like doves in a dovecot,
eating and drinking and rejoicing in their love.
� One thing alone troubled Nathaniah's peace: not yet had
he fulfilled his father's will and paid his vows in the pres
ence of God; and now, shut up in this tower on a solitary
island, the fulfi lment of his task seemed seven times more
difficult.
� But Keziah comforted him in his distress and encouraged
him with the words which King Solomon had spoken to
her:
� "Have not the words of Solomon thus far been fulfilled?
So shall it be with what he promised more. Our redemp
tion must be very near. The King of Judah will surely not
act treacherously! "
� And the damsel's prophecy was soon fulfilled.
( xvi )
� One day King Solomon's cooks took note that a portion

was lacking of the food which they had made ready for
the King's table - beside the damsel's portion which, by
the King's command, the eagle took away daily to a cer
tain place.
! They wondered at the loss of this second portion, yet
they did not pay great heed, for they said,
! "It is but chance: it may even be that we had erred in our
reckoning or perhaps a weasel hath run off with it."
2 75
� When it happened a second and a third time their sur
prise grew great. They lay in wait, and lo, the thief was
caught: it was none other than the great white eagle, the
King's flying chariot and his cherished pride.
� And the matter was made known unto the King.
� Solomon heard, and his heart rejoiced; but feigning ig
norance, he said,
! "The great eagle is surely behaving like a thievish mag
pie! I am greatly ashamed for my eagle. I must instruct it
in the way of honesty! "
� Then, like one that bethinketh himself, h e said,
� "Nevertheless, let it steal to its heart's content until I de
termine what I shall do. Whoso judgeth hastily perveneth
justice. Who knoweth the soul of a bird? The smallest fly
may surpass Og the king of Bashan in wisdom and right
eousness. Moreover what in birds seemeth evil may be
wisdom higher than we can understand. What to us seem
eth vain and foolish with them may be reckoned wise and
most just."
� That very day Solomon sent messengers in haste to all
the kings which had been present with him at the feast;
and he appointed a day when they and their followers
should go with him to the island to examine the tower and
find out what had befallen the daughter of the king of
Aram.
� Then Solomon, and all the kings, and the damsel's father
the king of Aram, together with their most honourable
captains and wise men and magicians, assembled together
a second time at the court of King Solomon.
� They were arrayed in all their glory: kings with their
crowns and royal mantles of purple and scarlet; captains
of the host with their brazen helmets and coats of crimson
brocade; wise men with long-sleeved gowns and white
staves, large turbans and wide be-tasseled girdles, and bear
ing on their loins the inkpot of the scribes; and magicians
2 76
with their towering hats and their linen ephods, embroid
ered work in white and violet.
' And they all took their place on the magic cloak and flew
to the island.
' They alighted near to the tower and gathered together
in front of the gate. Seven times did they encircle the tow
er, examining its walls round about, testing with care and
smelling and feeling every stone in the wall and every
piece of wood to see whether there were any breach or
hole or whether any hand had touched them. Then they
returned to the gate and examined its bolts and locks and
seals to see whether anything at all was lacking.
' When they found that everything was in proper order,
they commanded that the seals be removed, the locks
opened, the bolts drawn. With a noise of squeaking and
creaking the doors were opened wide and the whole com
pany entered into the tower.
' The ladder which had been pulled away was set up again
and they mounted it one by one, every man in order of
his dignity and precedence: first the greatest and the least
last, save only that the king of Aram, in his anxious care to
know his daughter's fate, was given a place before them
all. All of them reached the upper chamber and there they
ranged themselves in ranks according to their dignity and
honour. Foremost were Pharaoh king of Egypt, the king
of Aram, with King Solomon between them.
' There they all stood, their eyes peering into every cor
ner, consumed with curiosity to know what had happened
to the damsel. Had King Solomon's words been upheld or
not?
' Suddenly the door of the inner room opened and all
turned their eyes towards it. Amazement turned them to
stone. Their eyes saw what their minds could not believe.
Instead of the single soul which had been shut up in the
tower, the tenderly nurtured daughter of the king of
277
Aram, two came out to meet them and stood bet ore them,
proud and unabashed: a woman - and a man!
( xvii )
' That same day Solomon and all the kings and they which
accompanied them returned to Jerusalem with Nathaniah
and Keziah. And they sat down to a great feast which
Solomon, before he had set out, had ordered in readiness,
well knowing what would befall. A swift messenger had
sped to Sidon to summon Malkishua to his son's marriage
in Jerusalem, saying,
' "Make haste, delay not! The King calleth thee."
' And when the aged Malkishua was brought into the pal
ace and when he saw his son, he fell on his neck and em
braced him and kissed him.
' And the guests sat down to a great and mighty banquet,
the like of which was never seen before in any king's
palace.
' Every one sat in his proper place. At the head sat King
Solomon and his queen, Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh;
and on either side sat Nathaniah, crowned with a wreath
of mynle leaves, and Keziah, crowned with white lilies;
and next to them sat the two fathers, the king of Aram and
Malkishua. Then came the kings of Egypt and Tyre with
their queens; after them the friends of the bridegroom
and the bride, and then the rest of the guests - the kings
and their attendants, men of honour and renown, nobles
and captains of the host, the wisest of the King's council
lors, and the elders of the people.
' And at King Solomon's bidding Nathaniah rose up and
recounted all that had befallen him from the time when he
embarked in the ship to go to Acre on his way to Jerusa-
2 78
Iem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, until he entered into
the tower. And he told also the story of the ruby and the
serpent and all his dreams. He kept back nothing.
� And when he had made an end of speaking, he brought
forth the ruby and set it on the table in the sight of all them
that sat there, as a faithful witness to the truth of his words.
� When the amazement of his guests was abated, Solomon
lifted up his voice and said,
! "With your own ears have ye heard this day the won
drous ways whereby God brought Nathaniah, a Hebrew
youth from the Canaanitish city of Sidon, into a strong
and tightly sealed tower on a hidden, unknown and deso
late island, and there he found his bride. Sav, now, all of
you: Was this thing done save by God's hand?"
! And with one voice the guests exclaimed:
� "Of a truth, it was the hand of God ! "
� And the King answered and said,
� "Ye have spoken: it was from the Lord."
! And, lifting high a cup filled with wine, he stood up and
said,
! "Let this cup be the cup of blessing and thanksgiving' I
lift it up in the name of the Lord. And ye, every one of
you, shall answer after me: Blessed be God, the God of the
spirits of all flesh, who giveth to man a wife ! "
� And all the guests stood u p and repeated after Solomon
the words of the blessing, word for word, and they an
swered after it,
� "Amen! Yea, Amen! "
� Then the King looked upon the bride, and said,
! "Now is come the day of thy espousal and the day of thy
heart's rejoicing. Let me seek thy favour with a gift which
I have prepared for thee, a requital for thy past affliction
and for thy strong faith in me and in the words of my
mouth."
! The King gave the word, and one of his servants, a great
2 79
and honourable captain, brought before him a silver bowl
covered with a silken veil.
� Before the eyes of all the guests the King took away the
veil and, behold, a small golden casket, overlaid with pearls
and precious stones. He opened the casket and in the midst
thereof, resting on a soft cushion of green silk, was a great
and wonderful ruby, blazing with a thousand lights and
shimmering with life - the very sister of the ruby which
lay on the table before Nathaniah.
� The King took out the ruby from its casket, and, in the
sight of all the company, he bound it like a pendant to the
diadem of white lilies which adorned the head of the bride,
saying to her,
� "The ruby which Nathaniah hath brought to the House
of God at the command of his father Malkishua is doubly
holy, for in it is enshrined his father's deep sorrow. This
ruby, too, wherewith I now bedeck thee, is holy: for like
the dawn of a new life it shineth on thy pure forehead on
the day of thy espousal. Take, now, this jewel as a gift and
a blessing from the King's hand! "
� That same day King Solomon made peace between Mal
kishua and the king of Aram, for the king of Aram had
borne a deadly hatred in his heart from the day when his
son was slain in battle by the hand of Malkishua.
( xviii )
� Now the seven days of the wedding feast were also the
seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles; and every day Sol
omon and all his guests went up to the Temple to worship
the Lord, to pay their vows, and to offer freewill offerings.
On every day of the Feast Solomon offered on the altar
seventy oxen, according to the number of the nations of
the world.
2 8o
! And on the eighth day Malkishua, with Nathaniah his
son and Keziah his daughter in law, went up to the Temple
of the Lord to pay the vows which he had delivered into
his son's hands on the day when he parted from him.
! When Nathaniah gave his father's ruby to the officer
who was over the treasury of the Temple, Keziah took al
so the ruby which King Solomon had given to her, and she
laid it beside the other ruby, and said,
! "Let this, too, be holy to the Lord! "
! Therefore the two rubies glow side by side on the veil
of the Temple, yoked in union in the presence of God.
! That same day all the kings, the guests of King Solomon,
kings great and small and smaller still, hastened every man
to return to his own country. And to this day none know
eth what was in their hearts - whether they bore good
will or evil will to Solomon, or whether they felt gladness
or displeasure at what Solomon had brought to pass, Like
dumb dogs they parted in silence, with tight closed mouths.

Bialik, Hayim - and It Came To Pass (Hebrew Publishing, 1938)

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Bialik, Hayim - and It Came To Pass (Hebrew Publishing, 1938)

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AND IT CAME TO PASS

AND IT CAME TO PASS

TOLD BY HAYYIM NAHMAN BIALIK

WITH WOODCUTS BY H OWARD SI MON

Typography by S. A. Jacobs, M0U11t Vernon, N. Y.

INTRODUCTORY NoTE VII

�LEGENDS AND STORIES

�LEGENDS AND STORIES

18 � The Braggart Dove P. 93

2 I ! The Flying Cloak . P. I02

a) The Wind's Reproof

22 � The Throne of Solomon P. II2

25 � Uzziel and Hannah P. 1 34

26 � The Three Brothers P. 1 42

27 � The W oman who sued the Wind P. 148

28 � The Queen of Sheba P. I 56

29 � Solomon and Balkis P . I 63

30 � Asmodeus, King of the Demons P. 1 80

3I � A Fatted Ox and a Dinner of Herbs P. 199

! THE HEBREW POET BIALIK PUBLISHED THESE LEGENDS

AND STORIES IN SINGLE NUMBERS AT VARIOUS TIMES BE-

TWEEN 1927 AND 1934· HE COLLECTED THEM INTO A

single volume, Vay'hi hayom ("And it came to pass on a

ORPAH AND RUTH WERE MOABITES. THEY WERE SISTERS,

DAUGHTERS O F EGLON, KING O F ;\IOAB. BOTH WERE BEAU­

TIFUL AND A JOY TO BEHOLD, BRED I N THE PLAI:--IS AND

I N THE DAYS OF KING SAt:L THERE DWELT AT ASCALON

AMONG THE PHILISTINES A HEBREW WOMAN WHO WAS A

WIDOW. SHE WAS COMELY IN FORM AND GOODLY TO LOOK

! After certain days Saul went forth to fight against the

THEI\1 WITH KINDNESS AND WITH GREAT UNDERSTANDING.

HE APPLIED HIS HEART TO KNOW EACH O F THE SHEEP IN

IT HAPPENED ONE DAY THAT DAVID LOOKED THROUGH THE

WINDOW AKD SAW A 1\IADMAN WITH HAIR U:-IKEJ\lPT AND

RAIME:-IT TORN RUNNING THROUGH THE STREET AND A

band of children pursuing after him and mocking at him.

! When David carne back from smiting Goliath, the Phil­

Saul hath smitten his thousands

As our god Dagon liveth, surely the murderer shall this

In King Achish's hands have I

! Now in an upper chamber, on the wall of the house of

ONE DAY WHILE DAVID SAT IN HIS GARDEN, H E SAW A

SCORPION D EVOL'RING A SPIDER. AND HE SAID, '"o GOD,

WHY HAST THOU CREATED THESE THINGS FOR NAUGHT ?

' And the voice o f G o d came in his ears:

HIS BOW AND Ql:I\.ER TO Hl:XT I N THE FOREST NEAR TO

THE BORDER OF THE PHILISTINES. H E FOl:ND A GAZELLE

XOW DAVID THE KIXG HAD A HARP WHICH WAS HU�G

ABOVE HIS BED OPPOSITE THE WIXDOWS. WHEN MIDNIGHT

DREW NEAR, A LIGHT ::\ORTH WI::\D BLEW UPON THE HARP,

making the strings vibrate and tremble gently, so that the

XOW AFTER DAVID HAD LIVED SEVENTY YEARS HIS TIME

DREW NEAR, AND, BY THE WORD O F GOD, THE ANGEL O F

DEATH CAJ\IE D O W N TO HIM AT THE ENDING O F THE D A Y

to take away his soul. He found David sitting in the house

KING DAVID'S TOMB

T H E Y THAT HAVE RETURNED FROM E XILE AND DWELL IN

JERUSALEM TELL THESE THINGS ABOUT THE TOMB O F

T H E KINGS O F T H E HO L'SE O F DAVID.

! They gathered strength enough to stand up, and they

THE PASHA O F J ERUSALE:\1 ONCE CAME TO VISIT THE

PLACE O F THE TOMB O F THE KINGS O F THE HOUSE O F

DAVID, A N D , A S H E BOWED D O W N TO PRAY, HIS SWORD

DAUGHTERS O F EGLON, KING O F ;\IOAB. BOTH WERE BEAU

! When David carne back from smiting Goliath, the Phil

IX JERUSALE:\T THERE LIVED AN HOXEST AND PIOUS WASH

IN A CERTAIN TOWN THERE LIVED TWO PIO"CS AXD DILI

GENT YOUTHS, STUDENTS OF SCRIPTl:RE AXD THE WRIT

! So the two youths bestirred themselves, threw off slum

� And while the King was still light-heaned from laugh

ONE DAY KING SOLOJ\ION WAS SITTING IN HIS PALACE RE

NOW AFTER KING SOLOI\ION HAD MADE AN END O F BUILD