When the real moth-er of the child heard these words she cried out, O my lord, give her the child, but do not kill it.
But the oth-er said, Cut it in half, and let it not be hers or mine.
Then the king told his men to give the child to the one who tried to save its life, for he knew that she was the moth-er. And it was to find this out that he sent the men for the sword, and not to take the child's life.
SHIPS OF SOL-O-MON.
When Sol-o-mon had been king for four years, he laid out the plan that Da-vid had made for the house of the Lord.
He had a talk with Hi-ram the king of Tyre, and told him that it was time to build the house. And the King of Tyre was glad, and did all he could to aid him. He sent So-lo-mon great trees from the woods, and sent him men to help in the work; men who had skill with the ax, and with fine tools of all sorts.
The house was built of stone, and each stone was hewn from the rock, cut so as to fit in the wall ere it was brought to the place where it was to stand, so that no ax nor tools should be used in the house when it was put up.
The walls of the rooms were in-laid with gold, and gems, and the floor of the place where the ark was kept was of pure gold, and in front of the shrine were loops and chains of fine gold.
The doors of the house were made of the wood of the fir tree, and they were carved with great skill, and touched up with gold.