Again a year or two, he will be big enough to run about; and his father will make for him a pair of small red shoes, and he will come down to this pleasant spring, as children do, to splash the water.

Being a bold lad, he will climb that tree." 'And then, as she beheld one great bough overhanging like a stretched-out arm, and realised how dangerous it was for climbing children, she thought: '"He will fall down and break his neck." 'At once she burst out weeping inconsolably, making so great a din that all the people who had come for water flocked around her, asking: "O Nesibeh, what has hurt thee ?" And between her sobs, she told them: '"I'm a big girl, now." '"That is so, O beloved!" '"A year or two, and mother will provide me with a husband." '"It is likely." '"Another year, and I shall have a little son." '"If God wills!" sighed the multitude, with pious fervour.
'"Again a year or two, he will be big enough to run about, and his father will make for him a pair of small red shoes.

And he will come down to the spring with other children, and will climb the tree.
And--oh!--you see that big bough overhanging.

There he will slip and fall and break his neck! Ah, woe!" 'At that the people cried: "O cruel fate!" and many of them rent their clothes.

They all sank down upon the ground around Nesibeh, rocking themselves to and fro and wailing: '"Ah, my little neighbour.