n to stand in
the hallway of the palace, and all who passed pelted him with his figs.
He returned home wounded and crestfallen to his disappointed wife.

"Never mind, thou hast one consolation," said she; "had they been
cocoanuts instead of figs thou mightest have suffered harder raps."

* * * * *

A citizen of Jerusalem traveling through the country was taken very sick
at an inn. Feeling that he would not recover, he sent for the landlord
and said to him, "I am going the way of all flesh. If after my death any
party should come from Jerusalem and claim my effects, do not deliver
them until he shall prove to thee by three wise acts that he is entitled
to them; for I charged my son before starting upon my way, that if death
befell me he would be obliged to prove his wisdom before obtaining my
possessions."

The man died and was buried according to Jewish rites, and his death was
made public that his heirs might appear. When his son learned of his
father's decease he started from Jerusalem for the place where he had
died. Near the gates of the city he met a man who had a load of wood for
sale. This he purchased and ordered it to be delivered at the inn toward
which he was traveling. The man from whom he bought it went at once to
the inn, and said, "Here is the wood."

"What wood?" returned the proprietor; "I ordered no wood."

"No," answered the woodcutter, "but the man who follows me did; I will
enter and wait for him."

Thus the son had provided for himself a welcome when he should reach the
inn, which was his first wise act.

The landlord said to him, "Who art thou?"

"The son of the merchant who died in thy house," he replied.

They prepared for him a dinner, and placed upon the table five pigeons
and a chicken. The master of the house, his wife, two sons, and two
daughters sat with him at the table.

"Serve the food," said the landlord.

"Nay," answered the young man; "thou art master, it is thy privilege."

"I desire thee to do this thing; thou art my guest, the merchant's son;
pray help the food."

The young man thus entreated divided one pigeon between the two sons,
another between the two daughters, gave the third to the man and his
wife, and kept the other two for himself. This was his second wise act.

The landlord looked somewhat perplexed at this mode of distribution, but
said nothing.

Then the merchant's son divided the chicken. He gave to the landlord and