The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

STORIES OF DREAMS AND DIVINATIONS.
lOI
was asleep, that she saw again him that had asked
her the question, and she said that which her husband
had instructed her to say. And after some time
she gave birth to three sons, one after the other, and
the three of them became captains of thousands and
men famous in the world.
CCCCIII. A certain man had a virgin daughter who
was skilled in divination, and a man who had lost a
horse went to
her that she might divine for him [where
he was]; and when she had divined, she looked in the
face of the man, and blushed, and became shamefaced,
and covered her face, and she was unable to speak to
the man. And when her father saw her, he said to
the man, "My daughter hath divined, and she hath
"shewn that thou wilt find thy horse; let her then be-
"come thy wife and take her to thy house, because
"she is so shamefaced in thy presence." And it came
to
pass that when the man had gone forth and searched
for his horse he found it, and he was hot with love
for the young woman, and he sent for her, and married
her.
CCCCIV. As. two merchants were going about in a
certain city to amuse themselves they saw a certain
woman sitting in the market with her hair dishevelled,
and many people were gathered together about her.
And one of the two merchants began to laugh and to
make a mock of the woman, whereupon she lifted up
her head and said, "Mark, now, O thou man, who
"laughest, and believe [what I say]; thou shalt not go
('forth from this city until thou art dead; and this man,
''thy friend who is with thee, shall take to wife the
"handmaiden that thou lovest as thine own soul." And
it came to pass that after a few days he in truth