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blessing on all they undertook, and thus, to the end of their days, enjoyed the protection of the Most High.

Not only is it held foolhardy to sit on the doorstep or the threshold of a house, especially about sunset, but it is dangerous to call any animal, even the smallest insect, without at the same time pointing at the object; because many of the Jân and other demons are named after animals and other things in nature, and should the name be used without the gesture, some jinni will think that he is called, and will take advantage of the mistake to harm the person calling him. A perfect multitude of the Jân may thus be summoned inadvertently, for among them, as among men, some names are common. For instance:—

A certain woman who had no children, but who longed for offspring, sat one evening on her doorstep, ignorant of danger, when she noticed a black beetle crawling along the road. “I want a child,” said the woman, “even though she be only a girl and as black as a beetle. O Khûnûfseh!^[1] won’t you come and be my daughter?” With that she rose and went into the house. Some time later, to her vast surprise, she actually gave birth to a whole swarm of black beetles. “O Lord!” said she, “I only asked for one. Whatever shall I do with all these hundreds? I will sweep them up into the basket where I put dry dung,^[2] and carry them to the tabûn and burn them all.” She did so, but, on the point of returning to the house, she