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got down, Solomon told the man to" bruise its head" and

the man killed it on the spot.

Com had 441b. A man found a snake frozen on the ground andb2b picked it up and put it in his bosom. The snake, quickened

to life through the warmth, coiled itself round the manand tried to kill him. To requite evil for good, the snakesaid, was the way of the world. They brought the casebefore King David. On the way they met an ox, who decidedin favour of the snake. So also did an ass and finally KingDavid did likewise, for it is written that the' Snake shallbruise the heel'. When they left the court, they foundSolomon, still a lad, playing near the well. His stick hadfallen into the water and no one could succeed in gettingit. Solomon then ordered his servants to widen the conduit;thus the water would fill the well. It rose and they wereable to take the stick. Greatly impressed, the old man askeSolomon for advice. He obtained the permission of David tojudge the case. Asked by Solomon, the snake replied thatit had acted according to the word of the Lord and thenSolomon said," Abide by the Word of the Lord," whichcommands the two parties to stand before the judge. Thesnake was to uncoil itself and stand apart from the oldman on the ground before him. The snake did so and Solo-mon told the old man to" bruise its head" with the stickwhich he was holding, for so it was written in the Law.He did so and killed the snake.

442. A woman was weeping and mourning over thegrave of her dead husband for a long time. Close by stooda gallows and a watchman was appointed by the king tosee that none of the bodies should be stolen. He saw thewoman there, spoke to her and induced her to do his bidding.Whan he returned to the gallows he found that the bodyhad disappeared. So he came back to the woman and told herthat he feared for his life, since the king would surely killhim. The woman then told him to take the body of her deadhusband and hang it up instead, and she assisted him indragging the body from the grave.