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74 It was the angel Raphael who passed for an Israelite and knew Ragnel and Rags well.

He promised the young Tobias to accompany him there (compare Tob., V). The following Tob., VI, VII, 16–20, VIII.

And Tobias went along and a little dog ran with him. The first day's journey brought them to the river, Tigus, and he went in to bathe his feet; and he saw a great fish rush to devour him. The terrified Tobias cried in a loud voice: "O, Lord, it will devour me." And the angel spoke to him: "Grasp him by the fins and pull him out." And he pulled him up on the land; there it struggled before his feet. Then spoke the angel: "Cut the fish in pieces, the heart, the gall and the liver keep yourself, for they are very good for medicines."

And some pieces of the fish they cooked and took them with them on their journey; the others they salted so that they might have them on the way until they came to the city of Rags in Medea.

Then Tobias spoke to the angel and asked him: "I beg you, Azaria (this name the angel had adopted for himself) my brother, that you will tell me what kind of remedies can be made of the pieces that you commanded should be kept?"

Then said the angel: "If you lay a piece of the heart in glowing coals the smoke from it will drive away all sorts of bad spirits of man and woman, so that no harm can come through them (Tob., VI, 1–10).

They then went to Ragnel and the angel advised Tobias to sue for the hand of Ragnel's only daughter Sarah. Tobias delayed, for he knew that already seven men had perished on their wedding night with Sarah. The angel directed him to stay and to pray with her for three days and to lay the fish liver on glowing coals whereby the devil would be driven away. Tobias wooed Sarah; he made a marriage contract and ate with her; the bridal chamber was made ready into which they led the weeping Sarah and then Tobias.

Thereupon he took a piece of the liver out of the sack and lay it upon glowing coals. The angel Raphael took the spirit prisoner and bound him in the wilderness far away in Egypt.

At midnight Ragnel called his servants to make a grave; for they suspected it might go with Tobias as with the other seven