Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

568 THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
they answered and said unto him, "When the time
"hath drawn nigh and come for fasting the trees
"dry up, and the stream disappears until the time
"of 4 fasting is over; and we all, together with
"our children and wives, fast, and when the fast
"is over, the heavenly angels bring to us the
"mysteries of the Body and Blood of our Lord
"and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the trees bring
"forth fruit for us and the stream bubbles forth
"again, and we eat and drink in this manner from
"year to [p. 365] year. None of us perishes, and
"none of us comes to an end."
A land with- And Saint Gerasimas answered and said unto
pa-n-
t:hem, "Have ye neither bodily sickness nor pain of
"mind?" And they answered and said unto him,
"Pain, and sorrow, and grief we know not; only
"death we know." And Gerasimas answered and
said unto them, "How can death come without
"pain and sickness?" And they said unto him,
"When the time of death hath come to any one
"of us, that man crieth out and saith to us, 'Behold,
"God Almighty hath called me, go ye and make
"ready for me my habitation;' and we go, and
"dig, and make ready for him his habitation.
The burial "Then we come to him, and he lifteth himself up
''^"and goeth with us, and we bear him along with
"praises, and with prayer, and with Hallelujahs,
"and we bring him to the grave; and we kiss
"him and salute him, and he goeth down into the
"grave on his own feet, and falleth asleep. And
"an angel of God Almighty goeth down to receive