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to kill thee," replied the serpent, " because thou art robbing me of all my money." The man proposed that they put their case to King Solomon, and obtain his decision as to who was in the wrong. So they did. Solomon asked the serpent to state what it demanded of the man . " I want to kill him," answered the serpent, " because the Scriptures command it, saying : ' Thou shalt bruise the heel of man.' " Solomon said : " First release thy hold upon the man's neck and de- scend ; in court neither party to a lawsuit may enjoy an ad- vantage over the other." The serpent glided to the floor, and Solomon repeated his question, and received the same answer as before from the serpent. Then Solomon turned to the man and said : " To thee God's command was to bruise the head of the serpent — do it ! " And the man crushed the serpent's head.*1
Sometimes Solomon's assertions and views, though they sprang from profound wisdom, seemed strange to the com- mon run of men. In such cases, the wise king did not dis- dain to illustrate the correctness of his opinions. For in- stance, both the learned and the ignorant were stung into opposition by Solomon's saying : " One man among a thou- sand have I found ; but a virtuous woman among all those have I not found." Solomon unhesitatingly pledged him- self to prove that he was right. He had his attendants seek out a married couple enjoying a reputation for uprightness and virtue. The husband was cited before him, and Solomon told him that he had decided to appoint him to an exalted of- fice. The king demanded only, as an earnest of his loyalty, that he murder his wife, so that he might be free to marry the king's daughter, a spouse comporting with the dignity of
