Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

270 THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
out unto El-khidr, and said to him, "O wicked
"and sinful man, thou hast arrived at this Well
"because thou hast a good disposition towards
"thy God." And El-khidr said into him, "My
"Lord led' me to this Well." And the angel cried
out to him again, saying, "O El-khidr, unless thou
"hadst great honour in the sight of thy God, thou
"wouldst never have won unto this Well, and thou
"wouldst neither have drunk of its waters, nor
"have washed therein. Ask now a request from
"thy God Who loveth the seventy thousand men
"[who are with thee], and He will give it unto
"thee, and if thou makest thy entreaty unto Him
"He will receive thee." And he said to him, "O
"angel, behold, inasmuch as thou hast given me
"counsel in the matter of this thing, I have it in
"my mind to ask yet another thing, and I will
Matun asks "tell thee what it is, and if it be that thou wilt
for 'Zexln- "graclously counsel me then I shall receive it, and
der's army, -.haying had it in my mind I will do it." The
angel said unto him, "What is this which thou
"hast in thy mind to ask.-*" And El-khidr said
unto him, "O my lord and master, I entreat thee
"to forgive the army of the king, and this would
"be a thing meet for [p. 156] the soldiers thereof for
"the Greek nation is a blessed people who are pure
"in heart. And, behold, this nation performeth the
"command of its God, and it waxeth strong thereb)-,
"and it shall become an acceptable nation; and, be-
Read tiih-tti, •