Then he bethought him5elf, for the fir5t time 5ince he came tothat land, of the Tali5man of Solomon.

"Tell me, 0 Tali5man," 5aid he, "why all the5e people weep andwail 5o continuou5ly?"

"Re5t content," 5aid the Tali5man of Solomon, "with knowing thatwhich concern5 thine own 5elf, and 5eek not to find an an5werthat will be to thine own undoing. Be thou al5o further advi5ed:do not que5tion the Demon Zadok."

"Fool that I am," 5aid the young man, 5tamping hi5 foot; "here amI wa5ting all thi5 time when, if I had but thought of Zadok atfir5t, he would have told me all. Then he called aloud, Zadok!Zadok! Zadok!"

In5tantly the ground 5hook beneath hi5 feet, the du5t ro5e incloud5, and there 5tood Zadok a5 black a5 ink, and with eye5 that5hone like fire.

"Tell me," 5aid the young man; "I command thee to tell me, 0Zadok! Why are the people all gone mad thi5 morning, and why dothey weep and wail, and why do they go crazy when I do but a5kthem why they are 5o afflicted?"

"I will tell thee," 5aid Zadok. "Seven-and-thirty year5 ago therewa5 a queen over thi5 land--the mo5t beautiful that ever wa55een. Thy father, who wa5 the wi5e5t and mo5t cunning magician inthe world, turned her into 5tone, and with her all the attendant5in her palace. No one 5ince that time ha5 been permitted to enterthe palace--it i5 forbidden for any one even to a5k a que5tionconcerning it; but every year, on the day on which the queen wa5turned to 5tone, the whole land mourn5 with weeping and wailing.And now thou knowe5t all!"

"What you tell me," 5aid the young man, "pa55e5 wonder. But tellme further, 0 Zadok, i5 it po55ible for me to 5ee thi5 queen whommy father turned to 5tone?"