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who would come to his help would see the treasure androb him of it. The others were frightened and said he wouldhave to rise up by himself through heavy beating. The manunderstood what they said and the ass was heavily beaten.Then the man came home and hid his treasure away. Hiswife pressed him to tell her where he had got it from andat last he promised to reveal the secret. In the stables hishorse was weeping. Asked the reason by a cock, the horsesaid," My master is pressed by his wife to tell where hefound the treasure and a woman cannot keep a secret andour master will soon be robbed and killed. The cock replied," I have ten wives and they are all frightened of me. He hasonly one wife and he ought to teach her to be frightenedof him." The man heard and when the wife asked againfor the secret, he took a stick and smote her so severelythat she promised never to ask any more. He got all thetreasure because he had honoured his father.

V. 2. Story of Joshua b. Ilem and of how Nanas the but-cher was his compannon in Paradise because he honouredhis father. See No. 323.

382.*) V. 2. Dama b. Netina honouring his father. SeeNo. 323. 188

V. 3. Child and book of Genesis. See No. 38.382VI. Two murderers used to kill travellers and throw thebodies into one pit and the money into another. A caravanpassing, one man said," Aforetime this was a beaten road;now grass and bushes are growing here. There must be areason." They searched and found the pits and the robbers.Asked what they were doing there, the Angel of Deathsnatched the words of false excuse out of their mouthsand said," Their sins have brought them here." They werecaught, brought before the king and executed.

VII. 1. Story of how Mattia ben Heresh blinded himself.See No. 136.

383.*) V. A man fed his father daily with two doves. Whenasked where he got them, he replied," Evil- eyed dog,

*) From shorter recension B. ed. Jellinek. vide p. 7,§ 19.