Now, it happened that a king named Chandrasen, together with his son, while pursuing game, came into that very jungle, and the king, noticing the footprints of the two women, said to his son, “How have the footprints of human feet come into this vast forest?” The prince replied, “These are women’s footprints, a man’s foot is not so small.” The king said, “Come let us look for them, and if we find them I will give her whose foot is the largest to thee, and I will take the other for myself.” Having entered into this mutual compact, they went forward, and soon perceived the two women seated on the ground. They were delighted at finding them, and seating them on their horses in the manner agreed upon, they brought them home. The prince took possession of the queen, as her feet were the largest, and the king took the princess, and they were married accordingly. * * * * * Having related so much the sprite said, “Your majesty, what relationship will there be between the children of these two?” On hearing this, the king held his tongue through ignorance, being unable to describe the relationship. * * * * * Hierocles’ collection of jests is mostly short anecdotes of pedants who are shown up as simpletons or noodles. This principle of humor which is, of course, the rock bottom theory of the feeling of superiority induced by the discomfiture of the other man, often pins the jest on the pedant or scholar by way of emphasizing the point. Hierocles was an Alexandrian Neoplatonic philosopher who lived in the Fifth Century A.D. With authorship of the usual legendary haziness the collection may not have been made by him at all, but it passes for his work. The stories themselves came into popular knowledge among the churchmen of the Middle Ages, and in their existing form probably date about the ninth century. As will be seen from the following examples, many of the jests are still being used as the basis of Twentieth century after dinner stories and Comic Weekly jokes. JESTS OF HIEROCLES A scholar meeting a physician, said, _I beg your pardon for never being sick, though you are one of my best friends_. * * * * * A scholar wishing to catch a mouse that eats his books, baited and set a trap, and sat by it to watch. * * * * * A scholar wishing to teach his horse to eat little, gave him no food at all; and the horse dying, _How unlucky_, said he; _as soon as I had taught him to live without food he died_! * * * * * A scholar meaning to sell a house, carried about a stone of it as a specimen. * * * * * A scholar desiring to see if sleep became him, shut both his eyes, and went to the mirror. * * * * *