105

replied, cBy speaking the truth, by returning what
confided to me, and by abstaining from words which could
not profit me.'

According to another tradition, a man of the children of
Esrail had purchased Loqman for thirty misqals of gold,
and he gathered wood for his master. The latter was one
day playing chess115 with an improper companion, on the
bank of a river, on condition that the loser In the game was
either to drink out all the water of the river, or to forfeit
one half of his property to the victor. The owner of Loq-
man happened to be the loser, whereon his antagonist
challenged him to drink out the river; but as he was unable
to do that, he agreed to pay the property stipulated for.
He asked, however, to be respited awhile, and his an-
tagonist even offered to renounce his claim, in case lie could
bring a proper answer and a suitable excuse. The unlucky
wight returned home and spont the whole night meditating
how to get out of tho scrape. In the morning the lord
Loqmlm brought a load of wood to the house, according to
his usual custom, and made haste to pay his respects to his
master, whom he found sad and melancholy. Ho asked for
the reason of his grief, but the master turned his face
the other way, and would give no reply. Loqman re-
iterated his query, and said: * In such a circumstance there
is no use in shirking the matter, it being possible tiiat I
may succeed in solving the difficulty/ The master then
explained his case to Loqrn&n, whereon Ms lordship, the
receptacle of wisdom, said : * This is an easy matter; let us
go to the river-bank and conquer the antagonist/ They
went there, and when the victor asked about the property,
Loqm&n said : * We must go to the spot of the contest, that
my master may drink the water/ Accordingly, all three
betook themselves to the place, and arriving there, Loqman
said: * If thou wantest my master to drink the water which
flowed yesterday, when you were playing chess, then pro-
duce it, that the condition may be literally fulfilled; but if
thou desirest him to consume the water at present flowing
116 The word used in the text means also draughts, dice, etc*