Page:Jewish Fairy Book (Gerald Friedlander).djvu/24

10 before he fell fast asleep over the book in front of him. It was a sleep of sheer exhaustion. His eyes were barely shut by the bands of sleep when he began to dream. He saw the beautiful girl in his uncle's house and she looked more lovely than he had ever seen her. This vision faded away and he saw a very old man with a snow white long beard and such a noble face. He heard the old man's voice, it was like an angel's song, so winning and so gentle. The voice said, &quot;I am Elijah, the prophet. I come to give thee the greatest treasure on earth, knowledge and understanding. Make good use of it and thou wilt be blessed. Farewell.&quot; The vision faded and Jacob awoke. He felt refreshed and happy, for he had seen his beloved and the great prophet Elijah. Elijah, like the good fairy, is always at hand to comfort the sorrowful, to cheer the despondent and to help those in distress.

Jacob now thought of the problem set to the pupils. The solution flashed through his mind; he saw the whole problem in all its bearings. He wrote out the answer on the table in front of the teacher's seat. When the class assembled next morning the teacher asked whether there was any one who could answer the question set the previous day. No one replied. His eyes fell and he read with no little surprise the correct solution written on the table. Turning to his pupils he asked, &quot;Who has written this answer?&quot; There was again no reply. The