At the court of a king there lived a Jew who was
very handsome. The wife of the minister fell in love with
him, but he refused her advances. After a time she gave
birth to a boy and so also did his own wife. The two boys
looked exactly like one another and could not be distinguished one from the other. The king who heard of it took
the two children and brought them up in the palace; one of
them had a sign but only the king knew of it. When they
had grown up the parents came to ask for their children,
but no one could distinguish them so he sent for the Rabbi
and asked him to find out which was the son of the Jew
and which of the minister. The rabbi told him to bring
grapes, some still on the bunch and the others picked singly
and put in a basket. He who took the bunch would be the
Jew and so it happened. The king asked the rabbi the
reason and was told, “The Jews cluster together like the
grapes in a bunch. They must keep together whilst the
others live separately and therefore the Jew took hold of the
bunch and the other of the single grapes/'
431, A Jewish merchant sold his wares in a distant land
at great profit. A man who had noticed it returned home
with him in the caravan and induced him to remain a little
behind. Then he robbed him of all he possessed and was
on the point of killing him, saying, “If I spare your life you
are sure to tell." When the Jew was dying he saw a bird on
a tree, and said, “This bird will bear witness against you."
The man went away with all the money and becoming
richer became a favourite of the king. One day a dish was
brought to the table of a rare bird shot by a hunter. On the
cover being removed the man recognised the same bird
and he laughed. The king pressed for an explanation and
the man had to tell the truth whereupon the king ordered
him to the hanged and the property returned to the family
of the murdered man.
430. At the court of a king there lived a Jew who was
very handsome. The wife of the minister fell in love with
him, but he refused her advances. After a time she gave
birth to a boy and so also did his own wife. The two boys
looked exactly like one another and could not be distinguished one from the other. The king who heard of it took
the two children and brought them up in the palace; one of
them had a sign but only the king knew of it. When they
had grown up the parents came to ask for their children,
but no one could distinguish them so he sent for the Rabbi
and asked him to find out which was the son of the Jew
and which of the minister. The rabbi told him to bring
grapes, some still on the bunch and the others picked singly
and put in a basket. He who took the bunch would be the
Jew and so it happened. The king asked the rabbi the
reason and was told, “The Jews cluster together like the
grapes in a bunch. They must keep together whilst the
others live separately and therefore the Jew took hold of the
bunch and the other of the single grapes/'
431, A Jewish merchant sold his wares in a distant land
at great profit. A man who had noticed it returned home
with him in the caravan and induced him to remain a little
behind. Then he robbed him of all he possessed and was
on the point of killing him, saying, “If I spare your life you
are sure to tell." When the Jew was dying he saw a bird on
a tree, and said, “This bird will bear witness against you."
The man went away with all the money and becoming
richer became a favourite of the king. One day a dish was
brought to the table of a rare bird shot by a hunter. On the
cover being removed the man recognised the same bird
and he laughed. The king pressed for an explanation and
the man had to tell the truth whereupon the king ordered
him to the hanged and the property returned to the family
of the murdered man.
