"Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the
interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of
gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

The wise men gazed in silent astonishment on the writing, cast solemn
glances at one another, and at last frankly confessed that it was written
in a language with which they had no acquaintance--peradventure,
understood only by the gods.

"What shall I do?" cried the king, in deep agony. "I fear some awful
calamity is about to befall me! A curse upon you pretenders' Depart from
my presence! O ye gods, what shall I do?"

The great fear of the king had been made known to the queen-mother, the
famous Nitocris, wife of Nebuchadnezzar. She hastened to the banquet
chamber, where she found all in the greatest consternation, especially
the king.

"O king, live forever!" cried the queen-mother. "Let not thy thoughts
trouble thee, nor thy countenance thus be changed in the presence of thy
mighty lords, lest hereafter they despise thy fear. There is a man in thy
kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and, in the days of thy
grandfather, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the
gods, were found in him, whom the king, Nebuchadnezzar, thy grandfather--I
say the king himself--made master of the magicians, astrologers and
soothsayers; and this was a sure sign of his superior wisdom. This great
man is not found among thy nobles. Since in thy great wisdom thou didst
see fit to deprive all Hebrews of office, this mighty Daniel, whom thy
grandfather called Belteshazzar, has been seen but seldom. But be it
known to thee, O king, that he is not utterly forgotten."

Without delay messengers were sent to the house of Daniel, and in a short
time a venerable person, with his hair silvered over, slowly marched into
the banqueting hall, and, without the least embarrassment, stood in the
presence of the pale and trembling Belshazzar.

"Art thou that Daniel who art of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my
grandfather brought from Judah? I have even heard of thee that the spirit
of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellence
are found in thee. And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been
brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known
unto me the interpretation thereof; but they could not show the
interpretation of the thing. Now, if thou canst read the writing and make
k