A wryneck made fast to it by a little chain, and by springing from spoke to spoke kept it in continual motion .-- [From Theocritus' idyl: The Sorceress.]--A large black cat crouched beside her, and smelt at some ravens' and owls' heads, from which the eyes had not long since been extracted.
Two sparrow-hawks sat huddled up over the door of the cave, out of which came the sharp odor of burning juniper-berries; this was intended to render the various emanations rising from the different strange substances, which were collected and preserved there, innocuous.
As Paaker approached the cavern the old woman called out to some one within: "Is the wax cooking ?" An unintelligible murmur was heard in answer.
Then throw in the ape's eyes, [The sentences and mediums employed by the witches, according to papyrus-rolls which remain.

I have availed myself of the Magic papyrus of Harris, and of two in the Berlin collection, one of which is in Greek.

] and the ibis feathers, and the scraps of linen with the black signs on them.

Stir it all a little; now put out the fire, "Take the jug and fetch some water--make haste, here comes a stranger." A sooty-black negro woman, with a piece of torn colorless stuff hanging round her hips, set a large clay-jar on her grey woolly matted hair, and without looking at him, went past Paaker, who was now close to the cave.
The old woman, a tall figure bent with years, with a sharply-cut and wrinkled face, that might once have been handsome, made her preparations for receiving the visitor by tying a gaudy kerchief over her head, fastening her blue cotton garment round her throat, and flinging a fibre mat over the birds' heads.
Paaker called out to her, but she feigned to be deaf and not to hear his voice.

Only when he stood quite close to her, did she raise her shrewd, twinkling eyes, and cry out: "A lucky day! a white day that brings a noble guest and high honor." "Get up," commanded Paaker, not giving her any greeting, but throwing a silver ring among the roots that lay in her lap, [The Egyptians had no coins before Alexander and the Ptolemies, but used metals for exchange, usually in the form of rings.] "and give me in exchange for good money some water in a clean vessel." "Fine pure silver," said the old woman, while she held the ring, which she had quickly picked out from the roots, close to her eyes; "it is too much for mere water, and too little for my good liquors." "Don't chatter, hussy, but make haste," cried Paaker, taking another ring from his money-bag and throwing it into her lap.
"Thou hast an open hand," said the old woman, speaking in the dialect of the upper classes; "many doors must be open to thee, for money is a pass-key that turns any lock.