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Once, in conversation with his mother, Solomon the Wise said that any woman could be deceived. His mother scolded him sharply for this, saying it was not true. Some time later, Solomon somehow proved to his mother that she was no different from other women. She grew so angry that she cursed him, saying he should not die until he had seen the depths of the sea and the heights of heaven. When Solomon had grown old and weary of living in this world, he began to consider how he might free himself of his mother’s curse so that he could die. First he had an iron chest forged, large enough for him to sit inside. To its lid he fastened one end of an iron chain, as long as he reckoned the sea was deep. Then he climbed into the chest and told his wife to shut the lid and cast it into the sea, keeping hold of the other end of the chain; once the chest had reached the seabed, she was to haul it ashore. His wife closed and fastened the chest and cast it into the sea. But while she was still holding the end of the chain, unable to pull the chest out, someone came along and deceived her, saying that the fish had long since devoured the Wise One, chest and all, and that she could never bring him back to dry land, so she might as well let go of the chain and go home. Then she let the chain fall, and its immense weight pinned the Wise One in his chest to the bottom of the sea. After this, some devils found Saint John’s staff, cap, and robe, and began to quarrel, not knowing how to divide them. At last they said, “Let us go to the Wise One and have him settle our dispute.” And so, having learned where the Wise One was, they went down to him at the bottom of the sea, called out to him, and told him why they had come. From inside the chest he answered, “How can I settle your dispute from inside this chest, when I can see neither you nor the things you are quarrelling over? Carry me ashore, and then I shall settle it for you.” The devils at once took up the chest with the Wise One inside and carried it ashore. When the Wise One stepped out of the chest, he took the disputed things from the devils, as though to examine them and see what each was worth. Then he made the sign of the cross with the staff, and the devils scattered in all directions, leaving everything to him. Thus the Wise One had seen the depths of the sea, and now he began to think how he might also see the heights of heaven. For this purpose he caught two ostriches and gave them nothing to eat for several days, until they were very hungry. Then he tied a large basket to their legs, climbed into it, and sat down, holding a roast lamb on a long spit above his head and above the ostriches. Eager to reach the roast meat, the ostriches flew upwards, and kept on flying until the Wise One struck the sky with the spit. Then he turned the spit downwards, and the ostriches carried him back to earth. Thus he saw the heights of heaven as well, and afterwards he died.