74. HISTORICAL TALES.

about the old history of the land. Among the storics
they told him was a curious one about a great island
named Atlantis, far in the western ocean, against
which Athens had waged war nine thousand years
before, and which had afterwards sunk under the
Atlantic’s waves. It was one of those fanciful
legends of which the past had so great a store.

From Egypt he went to Cyprus, where he dwelt
long and made useful changes. He is also said to
have visited, at Sardis, Croesus, the king of Lydia, a
monarch famous for his wealth and good fortune.
About this visit a pretty moral story is told. It is
probably not true, being a fiction of the ancient story-
tellers, but, fiction or not, it is well worth the telling.

Croesus had been so fortunate in war that he had
made his kingdom great and prosperous, while he
was esteemed the richest monarch of his times. He
lodged Solon in his palace and had his servants
show him all the treasures which he had gained.
He then, conversing with his visitor, praised him
for his wisdom, and asked him whom he deemed to
be the happiest of men.

He expected an answer flattering to his vanity,
but Solon simply replied,—

“Tellus, of Athens.”

“ And why do you deem Tellus the happiest?” de-
manded Croesus.

Solon gave as his reason that Tellus lived in com-
fort and had good and beautiful sons, who also had
good children; and that he died in gallant defence
of his country, and was buried by his countrymen
with the highest honors.