V. 1. A man on his deathbed commanded his son to
cast bread upon the waters. He did it daily and one fish
caught it regularly and grew very big and persecuted the
other fishes. They complained to their king Leviathan, who
called him and asked him how he had grown so large. The
fish told him by the loaf a man was casting upon the water
daily. Leviathan ordered him to bring that man and when
he heard that the man was fulfilling a command of his
father, the king spat in his mouth three times. The man
then understood the language of birds and beasts as well
as seventy languages. The fish then carried him back to
dry land. Tired from having been inside the fish he lay
down to sleep. Two birds saw him and the younger said
that it would pick out his eyes in spite of the warning of
its mother. The man caught the bird. The mother bird
promised the man treasure hidden by Solomon and carried
him thither after which he let the young one free. The
mother bird killed the young one, brought a herb and revived it. A man, passing by, saw it, took it up and said he
was going to Jerusalem to revive the dead. On the way,
he tried it on a dead lion, who being revived killed him.
The other man, meanwhile, brought asses to carry away
the treasure and among them was a cantakerous ass. This
one said to the others, “That man has put too heavy a
burden upon us. Let us cause him to lose it.” He plotted
to throw himself down at the gate of the town; then those
who would come to his help would see the treasure and
rob him of it. The others were frightened and said he would
have to rise up by himself through heavy beating. The man
understood what they said and the ass was heavily beaten.
Then the man came home and hid his treasure awav. His
wife pressed him to tell her where he had got it from and
at last he promised to reveal the secret. In the stables his
horse was weeping. Asked the reason by a cock, the horse
said, “My master is pressed by his wife to tell where he
found the treasure and a woman cannot keep a secret and
our master will soon be robbed and killed. The cock replied,
“I have ten wives and they are all frightened of me. He has
only one wife and he ought to teach her to be frightened
of him." The man heard and when the wife asked again
for the secret, he took a stick and smote her so severely
that she promised never to ask any more. He got all the
treasure because he had honoured his father.
V. 2. Story of Joshua b. Ilem and of how Nanas the butcher was his compannon in Paradise because he honoured
his father. See No. 323.
382.*) V. 2. Dama b. Netina honouring his father. See
No. 323.
V. 3. Child and book of Genesis. See No. 38.
VI. Two murderers used to kill travellers and throw the
bodies into one pit and the money into another. A caravan
passing, one man said, “Aforetime this was a beaten road;
now grass and bushes are growing here. There must be a
reason. ” They searched and found the pits and the robbers.
Asked what they were doing there, the Angel of Death
snatched the words of false excuse out of their mouths
and said, “Their sins have brought them here." They were
caught, brought before the king and executed.
VII. 1. Story of how Mattia ben Heresh blinded himself.
See No. 136.
381. V. 1. A man on his deathbed commanded his son to
cast bread upon the waters. He did it daily and one fish
caught it regularly and grew very big and persecuted the
other fishes. They complained to their king Leviathan, who
called him and asked him how he had grown so large. The
fish told him by the loaf a man was casting upon the water
daily. Leviathan ordered him to bring that man and when
he heard that the man was fulfilling a command of his
father, the king spat in his mouth three times. The man
then understood the language of birds and beasts as well
as seventy languages. The fish then carried him back to
dry land. Tired from having been inside the fish he lay
down to sleep. Two birds saw him and the younger said
that it would pick out his eyes in spite of the warning of
its mother. The man caught the bird. The mother bird
promised the man treasure hidden by Solomon and carried
him thither after which he let the young one free. The
mother bird killed the young one, brought a herb and revived it. A man, passing by, saw it, took it up and said he
was going to Jerusalem to revive the dead. On the way,
he tried it on a dead lion, who being revived killed him.
The other man, meanwhile, brought asses to carry away
the treasure and among them was a cantakerous ass. This
one said to the others, “That man has put too heavy a
burden upon us. Let us cause him to lose it.” He plotted
to throw himself down at the gate of the town; then those
who would come to his help would see the treasure and
rob him of it. The others were frightened and said he would
have to rise up by himself through heavy beating. The man
understood what they said and the ass was heavily beaten.
Then the man came home and hid his treasure awav. His
wife pressed him to tell her where he had got it from and
at last he promised to reveal the secret. In the stables his
horse was weeping. Asked the reason by a cock, the horse
said, “My master is pressed by his wife to tell where he
found the treasure and a woman cannot keep a secret and
our master will soon be robbed and killed. The cock replied,
“I have ten wives and they are all frightened of me. He has
only one wife and he ought to teach her to be frightened
of him." The man heard and when the wife asked again
for the secret, he took a stick and smote her so severely
that she promised never to ask any more. He got all the
treasure because he had honoured his father.
V. 2. Story of Joshua b. Ilem and of how Nanas the butcher was his compannon in Paradise because he honoured
his father. See No. 323.
382.*) V. 2. Dama b. Netina honouring his father. See
No. 323.
V. 3. Child and book of Genesis. See No. 38.
VI. Two murderers used to kill travellers and throw the
bodies into one pit and the money into another. A caravan
passing, one man said, “Aforetime this was a beaten road;
now grass and bushes are growing here. There must be a
reason. ” They searched and found the pits and the robbers.
Asked what they were doing there, the Angel of Death
snatched the words of false excuse out of their mouths
and said, “Their sins have brought them here." They were
caught, brought before the king and executed.
VII. 1. Story of how Mattia ben Heresh blinded himself.
See No. 136.
