01

ful to Him ; and whoever is grateful, the advantages of his
disposition redound upon himself.'

It is related that on the day of the arrival of Balqis
Sulim&n ordered a place of meeting to be arranged, in com-
parison to which the age-stricken firmament appeared as
nothing [in brilliancy]. He commanded the throne of
Balqis to be adorned in another manner, and to be placed
opposite to his own. When Balqis reached the foot of the
exalted presence, Suliman took her dignity into considera-
tion, and seated her near himself upon the throne of
prophecy. After Balqis had thus taken her place, she
looked now and then towards her own throne, and Suliman,
or Asaf—according to different traditions—asked whether
this throne was her own. She replied: ' As though it
were the same/103 and neither positively denied nor affirmed
it. When Suliman became aware of the intelligence of
Balqis, he sent her to live with his sister, who apprised him,
after the expiration of forty days, of the noble virtues,
exquisite qualities, and exalted disposition of her guest.
His lordship thereon determined to string this royal pearl
of the diadem of sovereignty upon the thread of matrimony;
at these news, however, the ladies of Suliman became dis-
tressed, and, for the purpose of causing the noble prophetic
mind to get disgusted with Balqis, they enviously spread
the rumour that her legs were extremely hairy. Suliman,
being desirous to convince himself with his own eyes of the
truth of this report, ordered the demons to build a palace
on the surface of the water, which should appear to the
beholder as if it were likewise of water. His lordship then
took up his position at a spot near which anyone wishing
to approach him was obliged to pass. On this occasion he
called Balqis to himself, who obeyed, but on reaching the
edge of the palace [or rather pavement], imagined it to be
water, and bared her legs for the purpose of stepping into
it in order to reach Suliman; his lordship, however, said :
' It is not water, but glass; place thy foot on it and come.'
Balqis was embarrassed, and commenced to excuse herself,
103 QurUn, cb. xxvii. 42.