WOMAN'S WIT |

of the five-and-twenty leaped from his horse, and, kissing
the ground before the king, delivered his message: ‘‘ The
Tailor of Tailors, the Master of Masters, and One Greater
than a King, asks for thy daughter to wife.”

When the king heard what the messenger said, he
thought and pondered a long time. At last he said, “ if
he who sent you is the Master of Masters, and greater
than a king, let him send me an asking gift such as no
king could send.”

“Jt shall be as you desire,” said the messenger, and
thereupon the five-and-twenty rode away as they had come,
followed by crowds of people.

The next morning when the Demon came the Tailor was
ready and waiting for him. ‘ What hast thou for me to
do to-day ?” said the Evil One.

“JT want,” said the Tailor, “a gift to send to the king
such as no other king could send him.”

‘Thou shalt have thy desire,” said the Demon. There-
upon he smote his hands together, and summoned, not
five-and-twenty young men, but fifty youths, all clad in
clothes more splendid than the others.

All of the fifty sat upon coal-black horses, with saddles
of silver and housings of silk and velvet embroidered with
gold. In the midst of all the five-and-seventy there rode
a youth in cloth of silver embroidered in pearls. In his
hand he bore something wrapped in a white napkin, and that
was the present for the king such as no other king could
give. So said the Demon: “Take it to the royal palace,
and tell his majesty that it is from the Tailor of Tailors,
the Master of Masters, and One Greater than a King.”

“To hear is to obey,” said the young man, and then
- they all rode away. |

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