The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

STORIES OF LUNATICS AND OF MEN POSSESSED OF DEVILS.
DCXXI. They say that a certain demoniac saw a
fai, nobleman and he said to him, "O thou who art as
"fat as a pig, if the devil which is in me had been
"alive in the time of Christ, he would never have left
"thee and entered into me."
DCXXII. When it was said to another demoniac by
a certain nobleman, "Knowest thou me? he said, "Yes,
"I know thee, and I know thy brother." The nobleman
said to him, "Who is my brother?" And he replied to
him, "Thou, even as one who is like him, hast neither
"root nor stem," that is to say, "Thou art not of noble
"descent."
DCXXIII. When another demoniac went to the house
of a certain nobleman he offered him some bread only,
and the demoniac went out refusing this and saying, "I
"will come to thee on the day of the feast when some
"meat may be found with thee."
DCXXI V. Another demoniac said, "I went into a
"hospital and saw a demoniac who was in fetters, and
"I thrust out my tongue at him and rolled mine eyes.
"And when he saw me do this he looked up to heaven
"and said, 'Glory be to Thee, O God, for one whom
"'the physicians have left free, and for one whom they
"'have bound.'"