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brought to cover him, and yet was constantly crying out, now that his shoulders, now his feet, were cold. It came to the turn of the third and youngest son. He also tried in vain to persuade his father to let him fetch a longer quilt. Then on a thoughtful observation of his parent, seeing him enjoy his meals, and troubled with no special pain, he suspected a game of some kind. He left the bedside for a minute, cut a good and supple rod from a pomegranate-tree in the garden, and straight returned to the sick room where he was greeted with the usual complaint of cold in the extremities. He suddenly brought down the stick within an inch of the ancient’s feet, saying, “Very well, father! Stretch your legs according to your coverlet.”

The effect was magical. The old man jumped out of bed, completely cured. He made arrangements that at his death the supervision and management of the estate should devolve on his youngest son, who, without failing in duty, had proved himself too shrewd to let himself be imposed on even by his own father. This incident is said to have given rise to the proverb: “Stretch your legs according to the length of your coverlet.”

An “afrìt,” who had grown old, feeling that his term of existence was drawing to a close, resolved by way of turning over a new leaf to go on a pil- grimage. He therefore called his friends together, informed them of his conversion, and bade them farewell. Now, among them was a couple who