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298 "Thou, O Lord."

"Then canst thou not trust thy orphans to Me, who am a father to the fatherless? But go, take thy staff, and extend it once more over the sea, and thou shalt have a sign to strengthen thy wavering faith."

Moses obeyed. He took the rod of God in his hand, and he went down to the sea-beach, and he lifted the rod over the water. Then the sea divided, and he saw in the midst a black rock. And he went forward into the sea till he reached the rock, and then a voice said to him, "Smite with thy staff!" And he smote, and the rock clave asunder, and he saw at its foundations a little cavity, and in the cavity was a worm with a green leaf in its mouth. The worm lifted up its voice and cried thrice, "Praised be God, who doth not forget me, though I, a little worm, lie in loneliness here! Praised be God, who hath nourished and cherished even me!"

When the worm was silent, God said to Moses: "Thou seest that I do not fail to consider and provide for a little worm in a rock of which men know not, far in the depths of the sea; and shall I forget thy children, who know Me?"

Moses returned with shame to his home, comforted his wife and children, and went alone to the mountain where he was to die.

And when he had gone up the mountain, he met three men who were digging a grave; and he asked them, "For whom do you dig this grave?"

They answered, "For a man whom God will call to be with Him in Paradise."

Moses asked permission to lend a hand to dig the grave of such a holy man. When it was completed, Moses asked,

"Have you taken the measure of the deceased?"

"No; we have quite forgotten to do so. But he was of thy size; lie down in it, and God will reward thee, when we see if it be likely to suit."

Moses did so.

The three men were the three angels Michael, Gabriel, and Sagsagel. The angel Michael had begun the grave, the angel Gabriel had spread the white napkin for the head, the angel Sagsagel that for the feet.

Then the angel Michael stood on one side of Moses, the