[76] Among the Muhammedan legends concerning Solomon and the
        Queen of Sheba, it is related that, after he had
        satisfactorily answered all her questions and solved her
        riddles, “before he would enter into more intimate
        relations with her, he desired to clear up a certain
        point respecting her, and to see whether she actually
        had cloven feet, as several of his demons would have him
        to believe; or whether they had only invented the defect
        from fear lest he should marry her, and beget children,
        who, as descendants of the genii [the mother of Bilkis
        is said to have been of that race of beings], would be
        even more mighty than himself.  He therefore caused her
        to be conducted through a hall, whose floor was of
        crystal, and under which water tenanted by every variety
        of fish was flowing.  Bilkis, who had never seen a
        crystal floor, supposed that there was water to be
        passed through, and therefore raised her robe slightly,
        when the king discovered to his great joy a beautifully
        shaped female foot.  When his eye was satisfied, he
        called to her:  ’Come hither; there is no water here, but
        only a crystal floor; and confess thyself to the faith
        in the one only God.’  Bilkis approached the throne,
        which stood at the end of the hall, and in Solomon’s
        presence abjured the worship of the sun.  Solomon then
        married Bilkis, but reinstated her as Queen of Saba, and
        spent three days in every month with her.”

The Arabians and Persians, who have many traditions regarding Solomon, invariably represent him as adept in necromancy, and as being intimately acquainted with the language of beasts and birds.  Josephus, the great Jewish historian, distinctly states that Solomon possessed the art of expelling demons, that he composed such incantations also by which distempers are alleviated, and that he left behind him the manner of using exorcisms, by which they drive out demons, never to return.  Of course, Josephus merely reproduces rabbinical traditions, and there can be no doubt but the Arabian stories regarding Solomon’s magical powers are derived from the same source.  It appears that Solomon’s signet-ring was the chief instrument with which he performed his numerous magical exploits.[77] By its wondrous power he imprisoned Ashmedai, the prince of devils; and on one occasion the king’s curiosity to increase his store of magical knowledge cost him very dear—­no less than the loss of his kingdom for a time.  Solomon was in the habit of daily plying Ashmedai with questions, to all of which the fiend returned answers, furnishing the desired information, until one day the king asked him a particular question which the captive evil spirit flatly refused to answer, except on condition that Solomon should