"Why hast thou so treated me? did I so to thee in Athina?"
"Let this be a lesson to thee," answered the Jerusalemite. "I do not
think thou wilt be so ready to make sport of us in the future."
A young man, upon his journeys through the country, fell in with a young
woman, and they became mutually attached. When the young man was obliged
to leave the neighborhood of the damsel's residence, they met to say
"good-by." During the parting they pledged a mutual faith, and each
promised to wait until, in the course of time, they might be able to
marry. "Who will be the witness of our betrothal?" said the young man.
Just then they saw a weasel run past them and disappear in the wood.
"See," he continued, "this weasel and this well of water by which we are
standing shall be the witnesses of our betrothal;" and so they parted.
Years passed, the maiden remained true, but the youth married. A son was
born to him, and grew up the delight of his parents. One day while the
child was playing he became tired, and lying upon the ground fell
asleep. A weasel bit him in the neck, and he bled to death. The parents
were consumed with grief by this calamity, and it was not until another
son was given them that they forgot their sorrow. But when this second
child was able to walk alone it wandered without the house, and bending
over the well, looking at its shadow in the water, lost its balance and
was drowned. Then the father recollected his perjured vow, and his
witnesses, the weasel and the well. He told his wife of the
circumstance, and she agreed to a divorce. He then sought the maiden to
whom he had promised marriage, and found her still awaiting his return.
He told her how, through God's agency, he had been punished for his
wrongdoing, after which they married and lived in peace.
* * * * *
A wise Israelite, dwelling some distance from Jerusalem, sent his son to
the Holy City to complete his education. During his son's absence the
father was taken ill, and feeling that death was upon him he made a
will, leaving all his property to one of his slaves, on condition that
he should allow the son to select any one article which pleased him for
an inheritance.
As soon as his master died, the slave, elated with his good fortune,
hastened to Jerusalem, informed his late master's son of what had taken
place, and showed him the will.
The young man was surprised and grieved at the intelligence, and after
the alloted time of mourning had expired, he began to seriously consider
his situation. He went to his teacher, explained the circumstances to
him, read him his father's will, and expressed himself bitterly on
account of the disappointment of his reasonable hopes and expectations.
He could think of nothing that he had done to offend his father, and was
loud in his complaints of injustice.
"Stop," said his teacher; "thy father was a man of wisdom and a loving
relative. This will is a living monument to his good sense and
far-sightedness. May his son prove as wise in his day."
"What!" exclaimed the young man. "I see no wisdom in his bestowal of his
property upon a slave; no affection in this slight upon his only son."
"Listen," returned the teacher. "By his action thy father hath but
secured thy inheritance to thee, if thou art wise enough to avail
thyself of his understanding. Thus thought he when he felt the hand of
death approaching. 'My son is away; when I am dead he will not be here
to take charge of my affairs; my slaves will plunder my estate, and to
gain time will even conceal my death from my son, and deprive me of the
sweet savour of mourning.' To prevent these things he bequeathed his
property to his slave, well knowing that the slave, believing in his
apparent right, would give thee speedy information, and take care of the
effects, even as he has done."
"Well, well, and how does this benefit me?" impatiently interrupted the
pupil.
"Ah!" replied the teacher, "wisdom I see rests not with the young. Dost
thou not know that what a slave possesses belongs but to his master? Has
not thy father left thee the right to select one article of all his
property for thy own? Choose the slave as thy portion, and by possessing
him thou wilt recover all that was thy father's. Such was his wise and
loving intention."
The young man did as he was advised, and gave the slave his freedom
afterward. But ever after he was wont to exclaim:--
"Wisdom resides with the aged, and understanding in length of days."
* * * * *
David, King of Israel, was once lying upon his couch and many thoughts
were passing through his mind.
"Of what use in this world is the spider?" thought he; "it but increases
the dust and dirt of the world, making places unsightly and causing
great annoyance."