The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-05-24

Whence hast thou this stone ?" asked
Solomon Of the raven. st comes from
mountain in the far West" replied
the bird. Solomon commanded Jim
TO follow the raven TO the mountain and
tn bring him more OF these stones.
Then he released Sachr as he had prom.
ised. When the chains were taken off
him he uttered loud cry of JOY, which
in Solomon's ears bore an ominous
sound as of mocking laughter. When
the Jim returned with the stone
Schamir, Solomon mounted Jim and
was borne back TO Jerusalem, where he
distributed the stones amongst the
Jlnns, and they were able to cut the
rocks for the temple without noise.
Not less curious Is the account of the
test to which the Queen Of Sheba put
the wisdom of Solomon. The tradition
says:
She dressed five hundred boys as girls,
and five hundred girls she equipped in
boys clothes. She collected, Tor pres.
ents, thousand carpets of gold and
silver tissue, crown adorned with pearls
and diamonds, and a great quantity Of
perfumes. She also placed pearl, a
diamond cut through in zigzags and
crystal goblet in box and gave it to
her Chief Ambassador. Finally she
wrote a letter TO Solomon, telling him
that if he was a prophet he would be
! able TO distinguish boys from girls in the
train of Ambassadors that be would
be able to guess the contents Of the box,
pierce the pearl, thread the diamond
and fill the GOBLET with water which
came neither from earth nor heaven.
The chief mobiles Of Sheba were sent TO
bear the letter. The peewit, who had
watched all these proceedings and lis
tened to the message and advice, now
| flew TO Solomon and told him all. The
great King Immediately ordered his
Jinns to spread his carpet seven leagues
long, leading from his throne toward
Sheba. He then surrounded himself
with gold and gems. and gathered all
his courtieIs and officers together, and
prepared for the audience. When the
Ambassadors of Sheba set their feet on
the carpet--the end of which was
beyond the range of vision-they were
! full of astonishment. This astonish-
ment increased, and became terror,
when they passed between ranks of
demons, and Jinns, and mobiles, and
princes, and soldiers, extending for
many miles. When the leaders of the
embassy reached the foot of the throne,
Solomon received them with gracious
smile. Then they presented the letter
of the Queen. Solomon, without open
ing it, told them its contents, for it had
been read by the peewit. They offered
the box, and he said that in ii were a
pearl, diamond, and goblet. He next
ordered his servants TO bring silver
ewers before the train of the Amkassa-
doris, that they might wash their hands
after their journey. Solomon watched
intently, and he picked out the boys
from the girls at once for the boys
dipped their hands only in the water,
whilst the girls tucked up their sleeves
to their shoulders and washed arms as
well as hands. Then the box was
opened and the pearl produced. Solo
mon unclasped his pouch and drew
forth Schamir, applied it to the pearl,
and hole was drilled through it imme-
diately. Next he took the diamond.
The hole pierced in ii wound about,
and thread inserted in one end would
not pass through to the other end.
Solomon took piece of silk, called to
him worm, put one end Of the thread
in It's mouth and inserted it in the dia-
mond. The worm crawled down the
winding passage and appeared at the
other opening with the silk. In graft
tude TO the little creature, Solomon
gave it for its food forever the mulberry
tree. Then he took the crystal goblet
He summoned to him huge negro
slave, babe him mount a wild horse and
gallop around the plain till it streamed
with sweat. Then, with ease, the mon
arch filled the chalice with water that
came neither from earth nor heaven.