43 ON THE INHABITANTS OF THE 



sents on his return, and when his reason is restored, 

 to have treated him sumptuously ; that God had 

 sometimes seated him on a large snake, and, at 

 others, made him put his hand into the mouth of a 

 large tiger ; but without fear of any danger. On the 

 Demount?* emerging from his retreat, he brings with 

 him a large plant ain-xxtz, which he had torn up by the 

 roots, and places it on the roof of his house; then 

 returns, and brings in a large seedce-txtt ; again, 

 brings in a miichnim-KxtZ'> and lastly, a^^-tree; all 

 of which, to the astonishment of the people, he, 

 without human assistance, places, in like manner, 

 on the roof of his house. It is to be understood 

 that these trees are too large for one man to pluck 

 from their roots and carry \ and that the seege-tree 

 is full of thorns, which cannot be touched with im- 

 punity j but, by divine aid, he effects these won- 

 ders. On the night of his return, he represents, 

 that the Bedo Gossaih appears to him in a vision, 

 and desires him to sacrifice a pigeon or a cock 

 to him, with prayers. Accordingly, in the morning, 

 having recovered his senses, he takes some oil to 

 besmear the trees he had deposited on the roof of 

 his house, and some red paint to make streaks on 

 them ; over this he scatters some undressed rice, and 

 lastly, sacrifices the pigeon, so that the blood may 

 fall on the trees ; and, during this ceremony, he 

 prays. 



Henceforward he must never sit with or 

 touch any woman but his wife; should any other 

 woman even touch him by accident, it is supposed 



his 



