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89. The story of the weasel and the well. Once a young girl,beautifully dressed, lost herself in the desert on her wayhome. Getting very thirsty and seeing a well with a ropeand a bucket attached, she descended. When she had slakedher thirst she could not ascend, so she cried aloud. A manpassing by, heard her cry and after assuring himself thatDavon 229 she was not a demon he drew her out. Then he fell in lovewith her and wanted to marry her. She asked him who hewas and he answered that he was a priest. Then she told himthat she was of a noble family and that if he wished to marryher they must pledge their troth to each other and go andask her hand of her parents. They pledged their troth andshe said" Who will be witnesses'?" At this moment a weaselpassed and she said," The heavens, the weasel and the wellshall be our witnesses". Then they parted. She kept hertroth and when her parents wanted to marry her to anotherman she behaved like one possessed of a demon, till thesuitors ceased to ask for her hand. She kept her covenantwith the man, but he forgot her and married another woman,by whom he had a boy. When the child was three monthsold the weasel came and strangled him and when anotherchild was born it fell into a well and was drowned. So hiswife said to him:" The peculiar deaths of these children pointto some extraordinary reason, what is it?" Then he toldher the whole story and she said to him:" Go and take thepart which has been given to thee by God!" So he wentinto the town and asked after the girl, and they told himthat she was possessed of a demon, and he said" I will takeher none the less." When he saw her she behaved as usual.Then he mentioned to her the weasel and the well and sherecognised him at once, married him and they lived happilyever after.
90. R. Akiba when asked how great was the value of theLaw, said" Each word is worth thousands of gold andsilver coins." Citing Ps. CXIX, 72.
91. The judgment of poor, rich, and young after death whenthey neglect study. The poor man who pleads want of