Then she sat weeping sore for her child, and as she wept, there
came up two men, who said to her, 'What makes thee weep?' Quoth
she, 'I had a child at my neck, and he hath fallen into the
water.' 'Wilt thou that we bring him out to thee?' asked they,
and she answered, 'Yes.' So they prayed to God the Most High,
and the child came forth of the water to her, safe and sound.
Quoth they, 'Wilt thou that God restore thee thy hands as they
were?' 'Yes,' replied she: whereupon they prayed to God,
blessed and exalted be He! and her hands were restored to her,
goodlier than before. Then said they, 'Knowst thou who we are?'
'God [only] is all-knowing,' answered she; and they said, 'We
are thy two cakes of bread, that thou gavest in alms to the
beggar and which were the cause of the cutting off of thy
hands. So praise thou God the Most High, for that He hath
restored thee thy hands and thy child.' So she praised God the
Most High and glorified Him.
THE DEVOUT ISRAELITE.
There was once a devout man of the children of Israel[FN#59],
whose family span cotton; and he used every day to sell the
yarn they span and buy fresh cotton, and with the profit he
bought the day's victual for his household.
Pages:
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205