King David once had a narrow escape from death at the hands of Goliath’s brother Ishbi.  The king was hunting one morning when Satan appeared before him in the form of a deer.[72] David drew his bow, but missed him, and the feigned deer ran off at the top of his speed.  The king, with true sportsman’s instinct, pursued the deer, even into the land of the Philistines—­which, doubtless, was Satan’s object in assuming that form.  It unluckily happened that Ishbi, the brother of Goliath, recognised in the person of the royal hunter the slayer of the champion of Gath, and he immediately seized David, bound him neck and heels together, and laid him beneath his wine-press, designing to crush him to death.  But, lo, the earth became soft, and the Philistine was baffled.  Meanwhile, in the land of Israel a dove with silver wings was seen by the courtiers of King David fluttering about, apparently in great distress, which signified to the wise men that their royal master was in danger of his life.  Abishai, one of David’s counsellors, at once determined to go and succour his sovereign, and accordingly mounted the king’s horse, and in a few minutes was in the land of the Philistines.  On arriving at Ishbi’s house, he discovered that gentleman’s venerable mother spinning at the door.  The old lady threw her distaff at the Israelite, and, missing him, desired him to bring it back to her.  Abishai returned it in such a manner that she never afterwards required a distaff.  This little incident was witnessed by Ishbi, who, resolving to rid himself of one of his enemies forthwith, took David from beneath the wine-press, and threw him high into the air, expecting that he would fall upon his spear, which he had previously fixed into the ground.  But Abishai pronounced the Great Name (often referred to in the Talmud), and David, in consequence, remained suspended between earth and sky.  In the sequel they both unite against Ishbi, and put him to death.[73]

   [72] That the arch-fiend could, and often did, assume various
        forms to lure men to their destruction was universally
        believed throughout Europe during mediaeval times and
        even much later; generally he appeared in the form of a
        most beautiful young woman; and there are still current
        in obscure parts of Scotland wild legends of his having
        thus tempted even godly men to sin.—­In Asiatic tales
        rakshasas, ghuls (ghouls), and such-like demons
        frequently assume the appearance of heart-ravishing
        damsels in order to delude and devour the unwary
        traveller.  In many of our old European romances fairies
        are represented as transforming themselves into the
        semblance of deer, to decoy into sequestered places
        noble hunters of whom they had become enamoured.