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162

f. 34a. King cured by Citrons: No. 368.

f. 36 b. Seven Good Years when Young: No. 317.

f. 37 b. R. Akiba and the Dead: No. 134.

f. 38a. Solomon and the Thief: Nos. III- 112.

f. 38 b. Joshua ben Levi and the Angel of Death. No. 138.

K. DIVERSE SOURCES.

418. King David once asked God what good there was ingnats, spiders and fools. One day, fleeing from Saul, he hidin a cave and a spider quickly covered the opening with itsweb. Saul, seeing it, said that no one could have entered thecave without tearing the web, and so David escaped. Onanother occasion, he entered a cave where Saul and Abnerwere sleeping. Creeping under Abner's gigantic legs in orderto reach the cruise of water, David was suddenly caught byAbner when he stretched his legs. A gnat came and stungAbner, who lifted his leg and David escaped. On going tothe king of the Philistines David simulated a fool in orderto save his life. Thus he was taught to recognise the wondersof God in His creation.

419( 42). Two men lived in close friendship. War separatedthem. One day one of them went to his friend's town. The king,believing him to be a spy coming from the enemy's country,ordered him to be killed. He begged to be allowed to returnhome to settle his affairs after which he would return.Asked who would stand surety for him, his friend offeredhimself to be killed if the other did not return within thefixed time. The king granted a month. On the last daythe man had not returned and his friend was broughtout from prison and was on the point of being killed whenthe other man returned. The king, greatly astounded, beg-ged of them to allow him to become a third in theirfriendship.

420( 41). At a certain place there were people worshippingfire. They used to light one stake in the morning and onestake in the evening, keeping the fire alive continually. When