o one could
understand what he was saying. While he was reading from the gospel
about the marriage at Cana of Galilee, a small boy, holding a lighted
candle, came very near burning off the old man's beard, and he called
out to him, "Put out your candle! You have tormented my life out of me
with that candle." This raised another laugh, and on he read. Then he
took two rings, and drawing aside the curtain, placed one on the bride's
head, and the other on the bridegroom's head, pronouncing them man and
wife, and then gave them each a sip of wine and the ceremony was
concluded, all the men kissing Shaheen, and the women Handumeh.
Refreshments were then served to the guests from the village, and a
dinner to those from other villages. In the evening there assembled a
great company in Shaheen's house, and the hour was given up to story
telling. Saleh, whose brother married Shaheen's sister, will begin with
the _Story of the Goats and the Ghoul_.

Once there was a Nanny Goat, strong and powerful, with long and strong
horns, and once upon a time she brought forth twin kids, fair and
beautiful. One was named _Sunaisil_, and the other Rabab. Now the Nanny
Goat went out every morning to the pasture, leaving her twin kids in the
cave. She shut the door carefully, and they locked it on the inside
through fear of the Ghoul, for her neighbor in the next house was a
Ghoul who swallowed little children alive. Then at evening when she came
home, she would stand outside the door, and sing to her twin kids this
little song:

Hearken now Sunaisil,
Come Rabab my dear:
Open to your mother,
Never, never fear.
She has sweet milk in her udder.
Tufts of grass upon her horn;
She'll give you both your supper,
And breakfast in the morn.

The little twin kids would know her voice, open the door in gladness,
and eat a hearty supper, and after hearing a nice story from the
Anziyeh, (for so their mother was called), drop off to sweet sleep.

Now all things went on well for some time, until one day the Ghoul
neighbor being very hungry for a supper of twin kids, came to the door
of the cave and tried to push it open. But it was too strong for her, so
she went away in perplexity. At length she thought she would sing to
them the very song, which the Nanny Goat sang to them every evening on
her return, so she sang it:

Hearken now Sunaisil,
Come Rabab, my dear, etc., etc.

and when they heard this song, they