"There seemed to be no choice as to which he would take, although he looked at them closely. But his wise mind told him there must be some difference. The birds and insects could tell him which one to take. He looked out of a window and saw honey-bees in the garden below. Then he knew what to do. He ordered the window to be opened. The breeze carried the odour of the flowers out to the bees and they came flying into the room. "You can easily guess they alighted on the wreath of real flowers. The artificial ones did not attract them in the least. Then Solomon spoke. "'The bees have told me which wreath to choose,' he said." "The Queen of Sheba found out that the king was truly wise, didn't she?" said Solomon. "Yes, Solomon, and you who are named for him should always remember what the Queen of Sheba learned,--that there is one thing worth more than riches or beauty." "And that is wisdom," said Rebecca, softly. CHAPTER III. THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER IT was the first evening of the seven days set apart to celebrate the deliverance of the Jews from their bondage in Egypt and their safe passage to a new home of their own. Solomon and Esther were dressed in their Sabbath clothes. So were their father and mother. The house was trimmed as though for a wedding. "Is the table ready?" Esther's mother asked the servant. "Quite ready. Everything is in its place, I think," was the answer. The children's father led the way, and the family gathered around the table. There were lettuce and cress, unleavened bread, wine, and a meat bone which was carefully covered with a fine cloth. Solomon and his father began to chant. They rocked themselves to and fro at the same time. This motion of their bodies was to express as well as possible the words of the psalm, "All my bones shall praise thee." When the chant was finished, the master of the house cut a slice from a loaf of bread shaped like a crescent. "These two pieces of bread," he said, solemnly, "are like the shores of the Red Sea. But now, as I join them together again, it seems as though we could see the waves sweeping over Pharaoh's host." He then took one-half the loaf and, putting it in a napkin, tied it on Solomon's shoulders. There it remained till the ceremony was over. Everybody drank some wine, and then another chant was sung. After that, they ate some lettuce and jam and chanted again. Esther's father now took some bread, spread it with jam, wrapped it in lettuce and wound cress around it. He gave some of it to each one to eat. This was done in memory of the ten plagues of Egypt. The service was not finished until every one had eaten eggs. This was a sign of mourning that their temple had been destroyed. Solomon and Esther understood the meaning of all that was done this evening. They had been carefully taught the history of the "Chosen People," as they liked to call themselves. But at this festival their father once more repeated many of the stories of the olden time.