great signet, and gave to the Hoopoe, saying,--

"If now you have spoken truth, take this letter to Queen Balkis; then
come away."

The Hoopoe did as he was bid, darting off towards the south like an
arrow. And the next day he came to the palace of the Queen of Sheba,
where she sat in all her splendor among her counselors. He hopped into
the hall and dropped the letter into her lap, then flew away.

Queen Balkis stared and stared at the great King's seal upon the
mysterious letter, and when she had read the brief invitation she stared
and stared again. But she had heard the fame of Solomon and was eager to
ask him some of her clever questions to prove his wisdom. So she decided
to accept his invitation and come to Jerusalem.

She came with a great train of attendants, with camels that bore spices
and treasures of gold and precious stones, gifts for the most wise King.
And she asked him more questions than any woman had ever asked him
before, though he knew a great many ladies, and they were all
inquisitive.

But Solomon was so wise that he answered all her questions without any
trouble.

And she said to him, "It was a true report that I heard of you in my own
land, of your wisdom and of your glory. Only that which now I know and
see is greater than what I heard. Happy are thy men and happy are thy
servants who stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom."

And she gave the King a hundred and twenty talents of gold, which was a
very rich treasure, besides great store of spices, and the most precious
gifts; no one had ever seen such gifts as the Queen of Sheba gave to
Solomon.

But he in turn was even more generous. For he gave to the fair Balkis
all that she desired and everything she asked, because he admired so
much this splendid Queen of whom the Hoopoe had first told him.

And so, the Bible says, the Queen of Sheba turned and went to her own
country, she and her servants. But the Mussulmans' tales say that in
later days she married Solomon and they lived happily ever after. And it
was all the work of that little Hoopoe with a yellow crown, whom after
that we may be sure Solomon loved better than ever.

THE PIOUS ROBIN

"Art thou the bird whom man loves best,
The pious bird with the scarlet breast,
Our little English Robin?"
WORDSWORTH.

The English Robin is not precisely like our little American friend whom
we call by that name, alt