ommunicated orally to the
fortunate hero by a holy man, or by a king of the
genii--who was, of course, a good Muslim.

Of Solomon the Wise there are, of course, many curious rabbinical
legends. His reputation for superior sagacity extended over all the
world, and the wisest men of other nations came humbly to him as pupils.
It would appear that this great monarch was not less willing to afford
the poorest of his subjects the benefit of his advice when they applied
to him than able to solve the knottiest problem which the most
keen-witted casuist could propound. One morning a man, whose life was
embittered by a froward, shrewish wife, left his house to seek the
advice of Solomon. On the road he overtook another man, with whom he
entered into conversation, and presently learned that he was also going
to the king's palace. "Pray, friend," said he, "what might be your
business with the king? I am going to ask him how I should manage a wife
who has long been froward." "Why," said the other, "I employ a great
many people, and have a great deal of capital invested in my business;
yet I find I am losing more and more every year, instead of gaining; and
I want to know the cause, and how it may be remedied." By-and-by they
overtook a third man, who informed them that he was a physician whose
practice had fallen off considerably, and he was proceeding to ask King
Solomon's advice as to how it might be increased. At length they reached
the palace, and it was arranged among them that the man who had the
shrewish wife should first present himself before the king. In a short
time he rejoined his companions with a rather puzzled expression of
countenance, and the others inquiring how he had sped, he answered: "I
can see no wisdom in the king's advice; he simply advised me to _go to a
mill_." The second man then went in, and returned quite as much
perplexed as the first, saying: "Of a truth, Solomon is not so wise as
he is reported to be; would you believe it?--all he said to me when I
had told him my grievance was, _get up early in the morning_." The third
man, somewhat discouraged by these apparently idle answers, entered the
presence-chamber, and on coming out told his companions that the king
had simply advised him to _be proud_. Equally disappointed, the trio
returned homeward together. They had not gone far when one of them said
to the first man: "Here is a mill; did not the king advise you to go
into one?" The man