266 THE KING'S MIRROR 



sweetness of the fruit, and instead of feeling shame for 

 what she had already done, she longed to taste it of tener. 

 When Adam saw that it did her no harm (and he even 

 observed a pleasurable sweetness upon her lips), he 

 took the apple that she had offered him and ate just 

 as she had done. But when they had eaten the apple, 

 their eyes were opened to a greater knowledge than 

 they had had before, just as the serpent had predicted: 

 for immediately they were ashamed of their naked 

 limbs, since they saw that the bodies of the birds were 

 covered with feathers and those of the beasts with hair, 

 while their own bodies were naked, and they were much 

 ashamed of that. But most of all did it shame them to 

 know that their transgression had made them guilty 

 before God; and they bore their bodies in fear and were 

 ashamed of their naked limbs. Soon they went to hide 

 among the trees, thus giving proof of their shortsighted- 

 ness, for they did not realize that God had such knowl- 

 edge of His handiwork and all the things that He had 

 made, that neither bushes nor forests could hide them 

 from His sight, since even the secret hiding places in the 

 caverns of hell lie bare and visible before His eyes at 

 all times. 



But while Adam was in hiding, God spoke to the 

 spirit that was concealed in the serpent: " Through 

 pride and evil intent thou didst raise the first rebellion, 

 there being none to ensnare thee, only thine own pride 

 and envy; wherefore Mine anger rages against thee 

 without mercy, and thou has forfeited eternal happi- 

 ness and all hope of returning to it. Thou hast now a 

 second time stirred My heart to anger because of the 



