Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

THE TRAVELS OF GERASIMAS. 563
journeying on the way, and he cried out before
God Almighty, saying, "Turn not away Thy face
"from Thy servant, but continue Thy protection
"to him even unto the end;" and God Almighty
heard his prayer and received his entreaty, and
sent to him a huge lion. And it came to passAUoncomes
that when he turned round he saw the lion'"""'"'
coming towards him, and he answered and said,
"O terrible monster, hast thou come to slay me?"
And the angel of God Almighty came down, and
spake unto him, saying, "Fear not, O Gerasimas,
"but mount upon him, for God Almighty hath sent And brings
him to a sea.
"him unto thee that thou mayest be able to finish
"the journey which thou hast wished to make."
So Gerasimas seated himself upon the back of
the lion, and he went on his way and arrived at
the shore of a sea, and he descended from the
lion and blessed him, and said unto him, "Depart
"in peace," and the lion left him.
Then Gerasimas lifted up his eyes to heaven
and prayed, saying, "How shall I pass over this
"sea [seeing] that I have no ship?" And when
he had finished saying these words he saw that The trees
a tree bent down its top towards him, and
carry him to
he the Island.
took hold of the branches with his hands and it
lifted him up to its own height, and similarly the
next tree which was in the sea bent over its top
towards him, and he took hold of its branches
^ See Neog TrapdbeiCTo? of John Moschus (died A. D. 620)
cap. 107.
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