bin-Daoud bent his head and whispered very softly, 'Little man,
you know that all your stamping wouldn't bend one blade of grass. What
made you tell that awful fib to your wife?--for doubtless she is your
wife.'

The Butterfly looked at Suleiman-bin-Daoud and saw the most wise King's
eye twinkle like stars on a frosty night, and he picked up his courage
with both wings, and he put his head on one side and said, 'O King, live
for ever. She _is_ my wife; and you know what wives are like.'

Suleiman-bin-Daoud smiled in his beard and said, 'Yes, _I_ know, little
brother.'

'One must keep them in order somehow,' said the Butterfly, 'and she has
been quarrelling with me all the morning. I said that to quiet her.'

And Suleiman-bin-Daoud said, 'May it quiet her. Go back to your wife,
little brother, and let me hear what you say.'

Back flew the Butterfly to his wife, who was all of a twitter behind a
leaf, and she said, 'He heard you! Suleiman-bin-Daoud himself heard
you!'

'Heard me!' said the Butterfly. 'Of course he did. I meant him to hear
me.'

'And what did he say? Oh, what did he say?'

'Well,' said the Butterfly, fanning himself most importantly, 'between
you and me, my dear--of course I don't blame him, because his Palace
must have cost a great deal and the oranges are just ripening,--he asked
me not to stamp, and I promised I wouldn't.'

'Gracious!' said his wife, and sat quite quiet; but Suleiman-bin-Daoud
laughed till the tears ran down his face at the impudence of the bad
little Butterfly.

Balkis the Most Beautiful stood up behind the tree among the red lilies
and smiled to herself, for she had heard all this talk. She thought, 'If
I am wise I can yet save my Lord from the persecutions of these
quarrelsome Queens,' and she held out her finger and whispered softly to
the Butterfly's Wife, 'Little woman, come here.' Up flew the Butterfly's
Wife, very frightened, and clung to Balkis's white hand.

Balkis bent her beautiful head down and whispered, 'Little woman, do
you believe what your husband has just said?'

The Butterfly's Wife looked at Balkis, and saw the most beautiful
Queen's eyes shining like deep pools with starlight on them, and she
picked up her courage with both wings and said, 'O Queen, be lovely for
ever. _You_ know what men-folk are like.'

And the Queen Balkis, the Wise Balkis of Sheba, put her hand to her lips
to hide a smile and said, 'Little sister, _I_ know.'

'They get angry,'