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FOLK-LORE OF THE HOLY LAND

had a son for whose future they were anxious. They considered that it would be of the greatest advantage to their young devil, to travel under the wing of one so good and venerable. They therefore begged leave for their son to accompany him. He at first objected, but finally yielded to the solicitations of his friends, only stipulating that his companion should swear by the seal of Solomon, that while travelling he would do no harm to man, beast, bird, or creeping thing. To this condition the young devil and his parents very readily agreed.

The penitent then set forth with his young disciple, but the latter soon began to find the journey intolerable without the recreation of a little mischief. The “afârìt”[1] always journey by night and sleep in the day. One dark, moonless night, the couple reached a large encampment of Bedû.[2] Everything was silent, and it was clear that the whole tribe was asleep. The two devils passed through the camp without disturbing a soul; but a little later the young one begged leave to return and walk once more through the camp, declaring that he wanted to go from pure curiosity and without any mischievous intention.

He was gone but a minute, and they proceeded on their way. But they had not made many steps, before there arose a din to wake the dead in the camp behind them—horses neighing, dogs barking, women shrieking, men shouting. The elder “afrìt” turned fiercely on his pupil, crying,

  1. ↑ Afârìt (pl. of afrìt)=a sort of devils.
  2. ↑ Bedû (pl. of Bedawi)=the desert Arabs.—Ed.
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