Solomon’s chief respect for his father sprang from the halo of military service encircling Moses ever since it leaked out through the lips of the Bube, that he had been a conscript in Russia and been brutally treated by the sergeant.  But Moses could not be got to speak of his exploits.  Solomon pressed him to do so, especially when his father gave symptoms of inviting him to the study of Rashi’s Commentary.  To-night Moses brought out a Hebrew tome, and said, “Come, Solomon.  Enough of stories.  We must learn a little.”

“To-day is a holiday,” grumbled Solomon.

“It is never a holiday for the study of the Law.”

“Only this once, father; let’s play draughts.”

Moses weakly yielded.  Draughts was his sole relaxation and when Solomon acquired a draught board by barter his father taught him the game.  Moses played the Polish variety, in which the men are like English kings that leap backwards and forwards and the kings shoot diagonally across like bishops at chess.  Solomon could not withstand these gigantic grasshoppers, whose stopping places he could never anticipate.  Moses won every game to-night and was full of glee and told the Kinder another story.  It was about the Emperor Nicholas and is not to be found in the official histories of Russia.

“Nicholas, was a wicked king, who oppressed the Jews and made their lives sore and bitter.  And one day he made it known to the Jews that if a million roubles were not raised for him in a month’s time they should be driven from their homes.  Then the Jews prayed unto God and besought him to help them for the merits of the forefathers, but no help came.  Then they tried to bribe the officials, but the officials pocketed their gold and the Emperor still demanded his tax.  Then they went to the great Masters of Cabalah, who, by pondering day and night on the name and its transmutations, had won the control of all things, and they said, ‘Can ye do naught for us?’ Then the Masters of Cabalah took counsel together and at midnight they called up the spirits of Abraham our father, and Isaac and Jacob, and Elijah the prophet, who wept to hear of their children’s sorrows.  And Abraham our father, and Isaac and Jacob, and Elijah the prophet took the bed whereon Nicholas the Emperor slept and transported it to a wild place.  And they took Nicholas the Emperor out of his warm bed and whipped him soundly so that he yelled for mercy.  Then they asked:  ’Wilt thou rescind the edict against the Jews?’ And he said ‘I will.’  But in the morning Nicholas the Emperor woke up and called for the chief of the bed-chamber and said, ’How darest thou allow my bed to be carried out in the middle of the night into the forest?’ And the chief of the bed-chamber grew pale and said that the Emperor’s guards had watched all night outside the door, neither was there space for the bed to pass out.  And Nicholas the Emperor, thinking he had dreamed, let the man go unhung.  But the next night lo! the bed was