Children Of Israel.

There was a powerful despot among the Kings of the Banú Isráíl who sat one day upon the throne of his kingship, when he saw come in to him, by the gate of the hall, a man of forbidding aspect and horrible presence. The King was affrighted at his sudden intrusion and his look terrified him;

The Angel of Death and the King of Israel. 251 so he sprang up before him and said, "Who are you, O man? Who gave you leave to come in to me and who invited you to enter my house?" the stranger, said, "truly the Lord of the House sent me to you, nor can any doorkeeper exclude me, nor need I leave to come in to Kings; for I reck not of a Sultan's majesty neither of the multitude of his guards. I am he from whom no tyrant is at rest, nor can any man escape from my grasp: I am the Destroyer of delights and the Sunderer of societies."

Now when the King heard this a palsy crept over him and he fell on his face in a swoon; but presently coming to himself, he asked, "Are you then the Angel of Death?"; and the stranger answered, "Yes." "I conjure you, By God," the King, said, "grant me one single day's respite, that I may pray pardon of my sins and ask absolution of my Lord and restore to their rightful owners the monies which are in my treasures, so I may not be burdened with the woe of a reckoning nor with the misery of punishment therefor." Replied the Angel, "Well away! Well away! This may be in no way."—

When it was the Four Hundred and Sixty fourth night

"Grant me an hour," asked the King; but the Angel answered saying, "The hour was in the account and has sped, and you unheeding anything; and has fled, and you taking no thought: and now your breathings are accomplished, and there remains to you but one breath." the King, said, "Who will be with me when I am transported to my tomb?" the Angel, said, "nothing will be with you but your works good or evil." "I have no works," said the King; and the Angel, "Doubtless your long home will be in hell fire and your doom the wrath of the Almighty." Then he seized the soul of the King, If he fell off his throne and dropped on the earth dead. And there arose a mighty weeping and wailing and clamour of keening for him among the people of his court, and had they known that to which he went of the wrath of his Lord, their weeping for him had been sorer and their wailing louder and more abounding. And a story is told of