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Hear me in your Court of Justice." "Thy request is but reasonable, princess," said the mayor. "It shall not be said that strangers here are refused justice. Bar Shalmon, follow me." He led the way into the Chamber of Justice, and the magistrates of the city heard all that the princess and her witnesses, among whom was the rabbi, and also all that Bar Shalmon, had to say.
Three judges in red robes and purple wigs were seated on a platform, and an immense crowd filled the galleries in the same queer way as in the synagogue. Bar Shalmon was placed on a small platform in front of the judges. A tiny sprite, only about six inches high, stood on another small platform at his right hand and commenced to read from a scroll that seemed to have no ending.
The next moment a door opened, and Bar Shalmon, to his surprise, saw that the boy had jumped straight through the window down to the door which he had unfastened from the inside. The boy motioned him to enter a room. He did so. An aged man, who he saw was a rabbi, rose to greet him. "Peace be with you," said the rabbi, and pointed to a seat.
The rabbi performed the marriage ceremony, and Bar Shalmon had to swear an oath by word of mouth and in writing that he loved the princess and would never desert her. He was given a beautiful palace full of jewels as a dowry, and the wedding festivities lasted six months.
"Know then," said the rabbi, "thou art not in a land of human beings. Thou hast fallen into Ergetz, the land of demons, of djinns, and of fairies." "But art thou not a Jew?" asked Bar Shalmon, in astonishment. "Truly," replied the rabbi. "Even in this realm we have all manner of religions just as you mortals have." "What will happen to me?" asked Bar Shalmon, in a whisper.
He recalled now that his father had often spoken mysteriously of foreign lands, and he wondered, indeed, whether Mar Shalmon could have been in his proper senses not to have breathed a word of his riches abroad. For days he discussed the matter with the captain, who at last persuaded him to make the journey. "Fear not thy vow," said the captain.
"Bethink thee well, and remember, I await thee here until the sunrise." "I have answered; I defy thee," said Bar Shalmon, and he went indoors. Night passed with strange, mournful music in the garden, and the sun rose in its glory and spread its golden beams over the city. And with the coming of the light, more strange sounds woke the people of the city.
Then Bar Shalmon, his son, took his father's place of honor in the city, and in him, too, the poor and needy found a friend whose purse was ever open and whose counsel was ever wisdom. Thus years passed away. One day there arrived in the harbor of the city a strange ship from a distant land. Its captain spoke a tongue unknown, and Bar Shalmon, being a man of profound knowledge, was sent for.
"If such be your law, I am content," said the princess. "What sayest thou, Bar Shalmon?" asked the mayor. "Oh! I'm content," he answered gruffly. "I agree to anything that will rid me of the demon princess." The princess flushed crimson with shame and rage at these cruel words. "These words I have not deserved," she exclaimed, proudly.
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