The Hermits.
A certain hermit worshipped on a certain mountain, whither resorted a pair of pigeons; and the worshipper was wont to make two parts of his daily bread,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the One Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the worshipper was wont to make two parts of his daily bread, eating one half himself and giving the other to the pigeon pair. He also prayed for them both that they might be blest with issue so they increased and multiplied greatly. Now they resorted only to that mountain where the hermit was, and the reason of their fore- gathering with the holy man was their assiduity in repeating "Praised be Allah!" for it is recounted that the pigeon[FN#1
