Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 4, 1893.djvu/304

 296 that they were indeed his children, and were all one like the other. He came out and showed himself, and said, "I am your father, you are my children," but the children took to flight. He called after them, "Do not go! come back!" but they would not stop, and ran off. Drīs waited there a night and a day, hoping they would come back, but they did not again come to play in that place. Drīs then returned to his home, and went to a mulla and told him the whole story, and asked how he could get possession of the children. The mulla said, "The only way you can get them is this : let their mother take out their brother, the one you have with you, and go to the spot where they play, and put him down there and hide herself. When the children come to play they will see their brother, and perhaps they may be attracted by him and stay there. If she sees that they are staying, let her show herself but say nothing ; and if they run away, let her speak thus, 'For ten months I bore you in my womb, now give me my rights.' They can be secured in no other way." The mother then took her son, and carried him out to the playing-spot, and put him down and hid herself. The children appeared, and began to play with their brother. Then she came out of her hiding-place, and they all ran away, and she cried out, "I bore you in my womb for ten months, do not go, but give me my rights." Then the children came back, and she petted them and gave them some sweetmeats she had brought with her, and made them accustomed to her. When they had got to know her, she took them away with her and brought them home. The prophet Drīs was very glad, and gave away much in charity in God's name. He taught all the forty to read the Kurān, and say their prayers in the mosque. But the angel Arzāīl (Izrāīl) received an order from God to take the breath of all the forty at the same time ; and a few days after their breath left them, and they died, and they carried them out and buried them. Then the prophet Drīs said to his wife, "I can no longer stay in this country;