36 
AVES. 
sylvan spirits, whose care is to preside over the seasons of 
flowers and fruit, and were formerly allowed to mix and asso- 
ciate with mankind, leading them through jungles when be- 
nighted, and teaching them also the art of husbandry, which 
they too practised themselves, sowing over ground already 
sown, and reaping and carrying away their own produce before 
the padi w'as ripe, leaving behind for the fortunate cultivator 
to whose clearing they took a fancy, a more than usually plen- 
tiful crop. But the great Mahomet came, and all the angels 
of heaven, except the rebel Ebb's, followed and protected the 
spread of his faith : now Eblis and his wicked ones saw in 
lieaven none whom they could call to their assistance to crush 
the Holy and Mighty Prophet, so he went to the simple 
spirits of the groves, and said to them, ‘ Behold, the great 
Allah is unjust to you, Orang Ka-benar-an; are ye not spirits, 
even as the angels, who fly upon the winds ! ye must not re- 
main among the silent woods any longer; behold, I have 
defeated the Lord Allah, and now ye shall be angels like the 
rest.’ And the foolish spirits believed the words of the 
tempter, and they fell down before him and called him the 
great and mighty King Eblis. But as their hearts became 
great there came an angel called Zaliel, from whom Eblis fled 
away afraid, and he said unto them, ‘ Oh, foolish spirits, you 
have made a prayer unto that evil Jin Eblis, and the Lord 
Allah has sent me to punish yon ; and this is your sentence; 
behold the beasts and the birds, and the men whom you love, 
shall see you no more, and your houses and your fields shall 
become invisible for ever, and ye shall never go again among 
the houses of men.'* And when they wept bitterly at this 
punishment the angel relented, and he said, ‘ Choose, then, 
one bird which may see you and live in your houses, and bring 
up its young among your children.’ So they considered, and 
one wished to choose the Eagle, because, said he, ‘ Pie soars 
high and sees far, he wdll bring us much information:’ hut 
another said, ‘ No, he is a pirate-bird, and destroys others 
whom we also love ; let us choose the great Pigeon, for he sits 
on high bare branches in people’s gardens, and he will bring us 
news of all their doings:’ but another said, ‘ No, for he eats 
and destroys the fruit which we love, before it is ripe; let us 
