The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

PROFITABLE SAYINGS OF THE ARAB ASCETICS. 75
CCCII. Another ascetic said to the children of men
when he was admonishing them, "It is not that which
"ye know not which we teach you,
"of that which ye well know."
but we remind you
CCCIIL A thief went to the abode of another ascetic
by night, and finding nothing there he said to
him, "O thou ascetic, where are thy possessions?"
And he replied, "I have hidden them in the house
"above," meaning in heaven.
CCCIV. Unto another ascetic it was said, "How is
"it that thou dost never cast blame upon any man.-*"
And he replied, "Because I myself am not entirely free
"from blame."
CCCV. To another ascetic it was said by a certain
nobleman, "How is it that thou dost never come to
"visit us?" And he replied, "Because thou hast not
"with thee that which I seek to have, neither have I
"with me anything which I
fear thou wilt want to carry
"off from me."
CCCVI. Another ascetic used to say, " Consider, now,
"and see of what benefit is wealth to those who have
"it. They have [always before them] the fear of the
"governor, and the care and anxiety [of keeping it]
"from thieves, and the envy of friends, and the hatred
"of the son who is
waiting anxiously to inherit by [his
"father's]
death."
CCCVII. Another ascetic used to say,
"The members
"of a man are the armour of God with any one of
"which He can slay him;" that is to say, by the injury
and destruction which appertain naturally to each
member.
CCCVIII. Another ascetic used to say, "Thou shouldst
"increase thy fear of the Lord as if thou hadst never
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