The crowd had long dispersed; it was growing chilly, and after a
glance at the crucified men, Ben-Tovit took Samuel by the arm and
carefully turned him in the direction toward his house. He felt that
he was particularly eloquent just then, and he was eager to finish
the story of his toothache. Thus they walked, and Ben-Tovit made a
martyr's face, shook his head and groaned skilfully, while Samuel
nodded compassionately and uttered exclamations from time to time,
and from the deep, narrow defiles, out of the distant, burning
plains, rose the black night. It seemed as though it wished to hide
from the view of heaven the great crime of the earth.





THE SERPENT'S STORY




Hush! Hush! Hush! Come closer to me. Look into my eyes!

I always was a fascinating creature, tender, sensitive, and
grateful. I was wise and I was noble. And I am so flexible in the
writhing of my graceful body that it will afford you joy to watch my
easy dance. Now I shall coil up into a ring, flash my scales dimly,
wind myself around tenderly and clasp my steel body in my gentle,
cold embraces. One in many! One in many!

Hush! Hush! Look into my eyes!