At the time when the temple was nearly completed Solomon felt that his
strength was passing from him, and that he would not have much longer to
live. This greatly troubled him, for he knew that when the Jinns should
find that his watchful eye would be no more upon them, they would rebel
and refuse to work, and the temple would not be finished during his
reign. Therefore, as the story runs, he came, one day, into the temple,
and hoped that he might be enabled to remain there until the great
edifice should be finished. He stood leaning on his staff, and the Jinns,
when they beheld their master, continued to work, and work, and work. When
night came Solomon still remained standing in his accustomed place, and
the Jinns worked on, afraid to cease their toil for a moment.

[Illustration: SOLOMON AND THE JINNS.]

"Standing thus, Solomon died; but the Jinns did not know it, and their
toil and labor continued, by night and by day. Now, according to the
tradition, a little white ant, one of the kind which devours wood, came
up out of the earth on the very day on which Solomon died, and began to
gnaw the inside of his staff. She gnawed a little every day, until at
last the staff became hollow from one end to the other; and on the day
when she finished her work, the work of the Jinns was also finished.
Then the staff crumbled, and the dead Solomon fell, face foremost, to
the earth. The Jinns, perceiving that they had been slaving day and night
for a master who was dead, fled away with yells of rage and vexation.
But the glorious temple was finished, and King Solomon's work was done.
Tabari tells this story, and it is also found in the Koran; but the origin
of it was nothing more than the well-known custom of Solomon to exercise
personal supervision over those who were working for him.

"I was the person from whom Solomon first heard of the Queen of Sheba.