Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

THE DRIED FISH COMES TO LIFE. 269
after the fish, and he found it to be alive in the
water, having remained formerly a dried up thing xhe water
therein. And Matun, that is to say El-khidr,"'"^'-
washed himself in the water, and he plunged into
it three times, and each time he said, "In the
"name of the Lord God of Hosts, the Holy One."
And he drank of the water, and when he had
gone up therefrom, behold, [p. 155] his hunger
was appeased and he desired no food, and then
he knew that it was the well of the Water of Life
for which the Two-horned sought. And after he
had gone up out of the water he drove out of
his heart every worldly care, and he rose up and
prayed, and behold, all the flesh of his body had
become bluish green, and his garments likewise
become bluish green, and by reason of this he origin of
was called "El-khidr", that is to say "Green." And Eitkhw"*
as he prayed and gave praise [unto God] he was
not able to distinguish between the day and the
night by reason of the exceedingly black darkness.
And behold one of the angels of God Almighty,
to whose care was entrusted the Well of the Water
of Life, stood before him, and spake unto him,
saying, "O man, how didst thou come hither.''
"Knowest thou not that we angels who have charge The angei of
"over this Well are seventy thousand in number?" LiL
And El-khidr'' said, "O angel, it was my Lord
"Who led me here." Then the angel again cried
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