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The Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of the Saviour

Unknown

Section 20

About this work

Author: Unknown

20. They set out, therefore, on the

‹ Section 19 Section 21 ›

following

day

;

and

as

they

came

near

another

city

,

they

saw

three

women

weeping

as

they

came

out

of

a

cemetery

.

And

when

the

Lady

Mary

beheld

them

,

she

said

to

the

girl

who

accompanied

her

:

Ask

them

what

is

the

matter

with

them

,

or

what

calamity

has

befallen

them

.

And

to

the

girl’s

questions

they

made

no

reply

,

but

asked

in

their

turn

:

Whence

are

you

,

and

whither

are

you

going

?

for

the

day

is

already

past

,

and

night

is

coming

on

apace

.

We

are

travellers

,

said

the

girl

,

and

are

seeking

a

house

of

entertainment

in

which

we

may

pass

the

night

.

They

said

:

Go

with

us

,

and

spend

the

night

with

us

.

They

followed

them

,

therefore

,

and

were

brought

into

a

new

house

with

splendid

decorations

and

furniture

.

Now

it

was

winter

;

and

the

girl

,

going

into

the

chamber

of

these

women

,

found

them

again

weeping

and

lamenting

.

There

stood

beside

them

a

mule

,

covered

with

housings

of

cloth

of

gold

,

and

sesame

was

put

before

him

;

and

the

women

were

kissing

him

,

and

giving

him

food

.

And

the

girl

said

:

What

is

all

the

ado

,

my

ladies

,

about

this

mule

?

They

answered

her

with

tears

,

and

said

:

This

mule

,

which

thou

seest

,

was

our

brother

,

born

of

the

same

mother

with

ourselves

.

And

when

our

father

died

,

and

left

us

great

wealth

,

and

this

only

brother

,

we

did

our

best

to

get

him

married

,

and

were

preparing

his

nuptials

for

him

,

after

the

manner

of

men

.

But

some

women

,

moved

by

mutual

jealousy

,

bewitched

him

unknown

to

us

;

and

one

night

,

a

little

before

daybreak

,

when

the

door

of

our

house

was

shut

,

we

saw

that

this

our

brother

had

been

turned

into

a

mule

,

as

thou

now

beholdest

him

.

And

we

are

sorrowful

,

as

thou

seest

,

having

no

father

to

comfort

us

:

there

is

no

wise

man

,

or

magician

,

or

enchanter

in

the

world

that

we

have

omitted

to

send

for

;

but

nothing

has

done

us

any

good

.

And

as

often

as

our

hearts

are

overwhelmed

with

grief

,

we

rise

and

go

away

with

our

mother

here

,

and

weep

at

our

father’s

grave

,

and

come

back

again

.