t Beloved, is a story--a neory--a story quite different from tories--a story about t ise Sovereign Suleiman-bin-Daoud--Solomon the Son of David.

    ty-five stories about Suleiman- bin-Daoud; but t one of t is not tory of ter; or t. It is not tory of t, or t is tory of tterfly t Stamped.

    Notend all over again and listen!

    Suleiman-bin-Daoud s said,  t ts said. ood orees said ood everyto t Beautiful Queen Balkis, was nearly as wise as he was.

    Suleiman-bin-Daoud rong. Upon t urned it once, Afrits and Djinns came Out of to do urned it to do urned it times, t angel Azrael of ter-carrier, and told hree worlds,--Above--Below--and here.

    And yet Suleiman-bin-Daoud  proud. . Once ried to feed all t e it up in t of ty t ttom of t you o feed all t me to ask  I made ready for all t do you really call t a dinner?  t on  dinner to s a great and ric because I really ed to be kind to t serves me right.

    Suleiman-bin-Daoud ruly  Beloved.

    After t  t it o sory part of my story begins.

    y-nine  Beautiful Balkis; and t golden palace in tains.  really  nine-y-nine  in to marry ever so many more just to s he King.

    Some of t some   Beautiful never quarrelled oo muc in ruly sorry for him.

    Of course if o turn s ty-nine quarrelsome o  or greye seeds; but Suleiman-bin-Daoud t t t iful Palace gardens and wished he had never been born.

    One day, oget out for peace and quiet as usual; and among trees  Balkis t Beautiful, very sorrourn t and Mesopotamia and Persia and C you are t and terrible King. But Suleiman-bin-Daoud s of my Life, remember t came out of t and Abyssinia and C be made even more ashan I have been.

    And Balkis t Beautiful said, O my Lord and treasure of my Soul, w will you do?

    And Suleiman-bin-Daoud said, O my Lady and Content of my , I sinue to endure my fate at ty-nine Queens winual quarrelling.

    So  on bets and ted ginger-plants t greill o t campree t ree of Suleiman-bin-Daoud. But Balkis all irises and tted bamboos and tree, so as to be near rue love,  Suleiman-bin-Daoud.

    Presently tterflies fleree, quarrelling.

    Suleiman-bin-Daoud o t your presumption in talking like to me. Dont you kno if I stamped  all Suleiman-bin-Daouds Palace and tely vanishunder.

    t y-nine botill tree s tterflys boast. And  tle man, come here.

    tterfly o t ly, Little man, you kno all your stamping  bend one blade of grass.  made you tell t ao your less she is your wife.

    tterfly looked at Suleiman-bin-Daoud and sa ars on a frosty nig  wives are like.

    Suleiman-bin-Daoud smiled in tle brother.

    One must keep tterfly, and s to quiet her.

    And Suleiman-bin-Daoud said, May it quiet o your tle brot me  you say.

    Back fleterfly to ter behind a leaf, and she said, he heard you! Suleiman-bin-Daoud himself heard you!

    terfly. Of course  o hear me.

    And w did  did he say?

    ell, said tterfly, fanning  importantly, bet blame   a great deal and t ripening,-- to stamp, and I promised I .

    Gracious! said  quite quiet; but  Suleiman-bin-Daoud laugill tears ran dotle Butterfly.

    Balkis t Beautiful stood up beree among to alk.

    S, If I am  save my Lord from tions of t ly to tterflys ife, Little erflys ife, very frigo Balkiss we hand.

    Balkis bent iful tle woman, do you believe w your  said?

    tterflys ife looked at Balkis, and sa beautiful Queens eyes sarlig men-folk are like.

    And t o o tle sister, I know.

    t angry, said tterflys ife, fanning  all, but  hem, O Queen.

    t pleases my o believe t I believe amping , Im sure I dont care.  all about it to-morrow.

    Little sister, said Balkis, you are quite rig next time o boast, take  o stamp, and see  we? hell be very much ashamed.

    Aterflys ife to es than ever.

    Remember! said tterfly. Remember amp my foot.

    I dont believe you one little bit, said tterflys ife.

    I so see it done. Suppose you stamp now.

    I promised Suleiman-bin-Daoud t I , said tterfly, and I dont  to break my promise.

    It  matter if you did, said  bend a blade of grass amping. I dare you to do it,

    samp! Stamp! Stamp!

    Suleiman-bin-Daoud, sitting under tree,  all about  all about t came out of t about s laugree, smiled because rue love was so joyful.

    Presently tterfly, very  and puffy, came o Suleiman, Ss me to stamp! Ss to see , and noo the end of my days!

    No, little brot you again, and urned t for ttle Butterflys sake, not for t of th!

    Slaves, said Suleiman-bin-Daoud,  terfly ting) stamps  front forefoot you amps again you hem back carefully.

    Notle broto your amp all youve a mind to.

    Aterfly to o do it! I dare you to do it! Stamp! Stamp noamp! Balkis sa Djinns stoop doo tly and said, At last Suleiman-bin-Daoud terfly o ened!

    tterfly stamped. to t aterflys ife fluttered about in tradict again.

    tterfly  es before o terfly, Stamp again, little brot great magician.

    Yes, give terflys ife, still flying about in t lets terfly as bravely as  your nagging o. Of course it doesnt make any difference to me--Im used to t as a favour to you and to Suleiman-bin-Daoud I dont mind putting t.

    So amped once more, and t instant t do even a bump. tains played among tian lilies; t on singing, and tterflys ife lay on ree waggling ing, Oh, Ill be good! Ill be good!

    Suleiman-bin-Daolld could  tterfly and said, O great urning to me my Palace if at time you slay me h!

    terrible noise, for all ty-nine Queens ran out of ting and calling for t marble steps beloain, one , and t ise Balkis  statelily foro meet t is your trouble, O Queens?

    tood on teps one  and sed,  is our trouble? e om, ting in a t ts moved about in t is our trouble, O  extremely troubled on account of t trouble, for it roublesome trouble, unlike any trouble we have known.

    t Beautiful Queen--Suleiman-bin-Daouds Very Best Beloved--Queen t o to as  ise Suleiman-bin-Daoud  is notterfly  against  o teac is counted a virtue among tterflies.

    tian Queen--ter of a P be plucked up by ts like a leek for ttle insect. No! Suleiman-bin-Daoud must be dead, and he news.

    t bold Queen  looking at o o thers, Come and see.

    teps, one , and beneatree, still  ise King Suleiman-bin-Daoud rocking back and fortterfly on eiter to please your  o stamp  yet again; for  o t eminently a great magician--one tle folk! And hey flew away.

    t Balkis--t Beautiful and Splendid Balkis,  smiling--fell flat on tterfly is displeased  so us whrough many days?

    t t tiptoed back to t mousy-quiet.

    t Beautiful and Excellent Balkis-- foro tree and laid reasure of my Soul, rejoice, for  and a memorable teaching.

    And Suleiman-bin-Daoud, still looking after tterflies y, terfly ever since I came into told Balkis w he had done.

    Balkis--tender and Most Lovely Balkis--said, O my Lord and Regent of my Existence, I ree and sa all. It terflys ife to ask tterfly to stamp, because I  for t my Lord  magic and t t and be frigold  t.

    t under tree, and stretcener of my Days, kno if I  my Queens for t feast for all tainly  to s by means of your  and for ttle Butterfly, and--be ions of my vexatious ell me, t of my , o be so iful and tall, looked up into Suleiman-bin-Daouds eyes and put tle on one side, just like tterfly, and said, First, O my Lord, because I loved you; and secondly, O my Lord, because I know w women-folk are.

    t up to terwards.

    But  it clever of Balkis?   thERE was never a Queen like Balkis,

    From o the wide worlds end;

    But Balkis tailed to a butterfly

    As you alk to a friend.

    there was never a King like Solomon,

    Not since the world began;

    But Solomon talked to a butterfly

    As a man alk to a man.

    She was Queen of Sabaea--

    And he was Asias Lord--

    But talked to butterflies

    ook their walks abroad!