Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 7, 1896.djvu/258

232 replied: "I prevented the daughter of an emperor from giving birth, after she had suffered the pains of travail for seven days. But if they had taken some green leaves of the tree overhanging their throne, and had squeezed them upon her nose, she would have given birth immediately." They again addressed a third spirit: "Where hast thou been?" he replied: "I stopped up the well of a certain province. But if they had taken a black ox and had slaughtered it over the water, it (the well) would have been open again." The Jew gave great heed to their conversation; and, rising up early in the morning, he went to the country of the emperor (spoken of), and found his daughter in travail. lie then told one to take some green leaves of the tree overhanging their throne, and to squeeze them upon her nose. This was done, and she immediately gave birth. The king thereupon presented the Jew with a large sum of money, because this was the only child he had. The Jew then journied to the country in which the stopped wells were to be found, and told the people to take a black o.x and slaughter it over the well, after which the water would flow as usual. They did so, and the water flowed. The inhabitants thereupon presented him with a large sum of money. On the morrow he met the heathen who had taken his money; and the heathen expressed his surprise by saying: "Have I not already taken all thy money from thee; how is it that thou art such a rich man?" He then related to him what had happened. "Then I will also go," he said, "and inquire of the people of that place." He therefore journeyed on and lodged in that field; but the three spirits came and killed him, for it is said, "The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead." (Proverbs xi.,8.)

II. The Princess with Golden Hair.

There was once a pious old man, who was exceedingly rich. He had l)ut one son, whose name was Jochanan. This Jochanan had a beautiful and pious wife. When his father was about to die he called his son and exhorted him to occupy himself with God's precepts and to continually perform acts of charity. He bequeathed to him all his wealth, saying: "When the days of thy mourning are over, go into the street and remain there until thou seest a man come to sell his wares in the market. The first man who comes, buy from him his wares and take them home, and take good care of them." The old man soon died and was duly buried. After his son had observed thirty days of mourning he remembered his father's wish, and accordingly went forthwith into the street, where he sat until he saw a man carrying a magnificent cup (or bowl). Jochanan asked him whether he was willing to sell the cup he was carrying. He answered: "Yes." "How much do you want for it?" "One hundred pieces of gold," said the man. "Let me have it for sixty pieces," said Jochanan. The man refused and passed on. Jochanan remembering his pious father's wish, called after the man and said: "Give me the cup, and here are the hundred pieces of gold which thou hast asked." The man replied: "If thou wilt give me 200 pieces of gold I will give thee the cup; but if not I