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man who, not finding a purchaser, having come to markettoo late on Friday afternoon, brought it to Joseph whoused to buy the best for Sabbath. Joseph cut it open andfound the pearl which he sold for 23000 golden dinars.

R. Hiyya was once a guest at the table of a rich Jew andsaw a golden table brought in by twenty six men by26 silver chains. He had been a butcher who saved forthe Sabbath the best of the animals bought. This washis reward.

IV. 5. Story of the cow which refused to work on Sabbath.See 312.

381. V. I. A man on his deathbed commanded his son tocast bread upon the waters. He did it daily and one fishcaught it regularly and grew very big and persecuted theother fishes. They complained to their king Leviathan, whocalled him and asked him how he had grown so large. Thefish told him by the loaf a man was casting upon the waterdaily. Leviathan ordered him to bring that man and whenhe heard that the man was fulfilling a command of hisfather, the king spat in his mouth three times. The manthen understood the language of birds and beasts as wellas seventy languages. The fish then carried him back todry land. Tired from having been inside the fish he laydown to sleep. Two birds saw him and the younger saidthat it would pick out his eyes in spite of the warning ofits mother. The man caught the bird. The mother birdpromised the man treasure hidden by Solomon and carriedhim thither after which he let the young one free. Themother bird killed the young one, brought a herb and re-vived it. A man, passing by, saw it, took it up and said hewas going to Jerusalem to revive the dead. On the way,he tried it on a dead lion, who being revived killed him.The other man, meanwhile, brought asses to carry awaythe treasure and among them was a cantakerous ass. Thisone said to the others," That man has put too heavy aburden upon us. Let us cause him to lose it." He plottedto throw himself down at the gate of the town; then those

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