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ALEXANDER CONVERSES WITH THE BIRD. 275<br />

"quickly." Then the bird turned [and rested] on<br />

the other foot, for he had been [standing on one],<br />

by reason of his size. Then the Two-horned said<br />

unto the bird, "Are men allowed to drink wine,<br />

"or is it forbidden to eat?" And he replied, "Nay,<br />

"but He will come quickly"; then the bird returned<br />

to his former condition. And the Two -horned<br />

spake unto him, saying, "I would that thou wouldst <strong>Alexander</strong><br />

,, . . r .1 r 1 1 T asks the bird<br />

give unto me some of thy food whereon 1 may f„ food,<br />

"feed in my journeyings, for I have to journey a<br />

"distance of twelve days and twelve nights^ without<br />

"having tasted any food whatsoever." The bird an-<br />

swered, "Go on, O man, for strength hath been given<br />

"unto thee to come hither without meat and without<br />

"drink, and it is still sufficient to bring thee unto<br />

"thy friends in safety." The Two-horned said unto<br />

the bird, "I will not leave thee until thou givest<br />

"me that which I am to eat." And the bird<br />

straightway stretched out its beak to the top of The wrd<br />

the mountain and reached unto him a bunch ofblTch ""of<br />

grapes, and said unto him, "If thou art going to^"''""'^'<br />

"return to thy followers watch well [p. 159] this<br />

"bunch of grapes, and feed thy soldiers upon them<br />

"when they are hungry, for it will neither perish<br />

"nor come to an end in any way whatsoever."<br />

And it came to pass that as he was marching<br />

forward on his way—now they were journeying<br />

together in a body on their road—behold, they<br />

heard beneath the hoofs of their beasts a sound<br />

' Read A,PA^ir

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