Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/272

 which thou hast put into this man, and to draw it forth and take it out of him!" And the dragon said, "The time of our destruction has not yet come, as thou didst say. Why dost thou force me to take out what I have put in him, and to die before the time? For my father shall also find his end when he draws forth and sucks out what he has put into the creation." And the apostle said to him, "Show now the nature of thy father! And the dragon came, put his mouth upon the wound of the young man and sucked the gall (the poison) out of it. And in a short time the color of the young man, which was like purple, grew white, and the dragon swelled. And when the dragon had drawn up all the gall into himself, the young man sprang up and stood, and ran and fell at the apostle's feet. And the dragon being swelled up shrieked out and died, and his poison and gall were poured forth. And in the place where his poison was poured forth there was made a great chasm, and the dragon was swallowed up. And the apostle said to the king and to his brother, "Take workmen, and fill up the place and lay foundations, and build houses above it, that there be a dwelling place for strangers."

34. And the young man said to the apostle with many tears, "What have I sinned against thee? For thou art a man having two forms, and wherever thou wishest, thou art found, and art not prevented by anyone, as I see. For I saw that man how he stood beside thee, and also