“Thou art like the mole that came up out of the ground to curse God because He had not given to it sharpness of sight; and the eagle saw it, and carried it off.”

“When men say to the wolf, ‘Get away from the flock,’ he saith, ‘Nay, but the dust thereof is healing to mine eyes.’  When they took him to the school, the teacher said, ‘Say A.’  The wolf said, ‘Lamb.’  ‘Say B.’  He answered, ‘Kid.’  Surely he spake of that which was in his thoughts.”

At last, after many days, Nadan besought me, saying, “Have mercy on me, spare my life, and I will feed thy swine and keep thine asses, and be thy slave for ever.”

And I said, “Thou art like the palm-tree which bare no dates, and the owner came to cut it down; and it said, ’Leave me this one year, and next year I will bear melons.’  But he said, ’Thou that hast not borne thine own fruit, how wilt thou bear one that is not thine?’ Now, behold, I will say no more to thee, O Nadan; but let God, who preserved me alive, judge between thee and me.”

And forthwith judgment went forth against Nadan, and his body swelled up and burst, and he died.  For it is written, “He that diggeth a pit for another shall fall into the midst of it himself.”

THE END

Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & Co. at Paul’s Work, Edinburgh