The emperor was very much pleased, and emptying the man’s basket of its figs, he ordered it to be filled with gold coins.

When the old man had departed, the courtiers said to the emperor:—­

“Why didst thou so honor this old Jew?”

“The Lord hath honored him, and why not I?” replied the emperor.

Now next door to this old man there lived a woman, who, when she heard of her neighbor’s good fortune, desired her husband to try his luck in the same quarter.  She filled for him an immense basket with figs, and bidding him put it on his shoulder, said, “Now carry it to the emperor; he loves figs and will fill thy basket with golden coin.”

When her husband approached the gates of the palace, he told his errand to the guards, saying, “I brought these figs to the emperor; empty my basket I pray, and fill it up again with gold.”

When this was told to the emperor, he ordered the old man to stand in the hallway of the palace, and all who passed pelted him with his figs.  He returned home wounded and crestfallen to his disappointed wife.

“Never mind, thou hast one consolation,” said she; “had they been cocoanuts instead of figs thou mightest have suffered harder raps.”

* * * * *

A citizen of Jerusalem traveling through the country was taken very sick at an inn.  Feeling that he would not recover, he sent for the landlord and said to him, “I am going the way of all flesh.  If after my death any party should come from Jerusalem and claim my effects, do not deliver them until he shall prove to thee by three wise acts that he is entitled to them; for I charged my son before starting upon my way, that if death befell me he would be obliged to prove his wisdom before obtaining my possessions.”

The man died and was buried according to Jewish rites, and his death was made public that his heirs might appear.  When his son learned of his father’s decease he started from Jerusalem for the place where he had died.  Near the gates of the city he met a man who had a load of wood for sale.  This he purchased and ordered it to be delivered at the inn toward which he was traveling.  The man from whom he bought it went at once to the inn, and said, “Here is the wood.”

“What wood?” returned the proprietor; “I ordered no wood.”

“No,” answered the woodcutter, “but the man who follows me did; I will enter and wait for him.”

Thus the son had provided for himself a welcome when he should reach the inn, which was his first wise act.

The landlord said to him, “Who art thou?”

“The son of the merchant who died in thy house,” he replied.

They prepared for him a dinner, and placed upon the table five pigeons and a chicken.  The master of the house, his wife, two sons, and two daughters sat with him at the table.

“Serve the food,” said the landlord.

“Nay,” answered the young man; “thou art master, it is thy privilege.”