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are going ta kill, I you will pardon the unfortunate Man the third of his Crime. The Genie took ſome time to conſult upon it, but anſwer’d at laſt, Well then, I agree to it.
The Hiftory of the Firſt old Man and the Bitch.
I Shall begin then, ſays the old Man, liſten to me, I pray you, With Attention. This Bitch you ſee, is my Couſin, nay, what is more, my Wife; ſhe was only twelve Years of Age when I married her, ſo that I may juſtly fay, ſhe ought as much to regard: me as her Father, as her Kinſman and Husband.
We liv’d together twenty Years, without any Children, yet her Barrenneſs did not hinder my having a great deal of Complaiſance and Friendship for her. The Deſire of having Children only, made me buy a Slave, by whom I had a Son, who was extream promiſing. My Wife being jealous, conceiv’d a Hatred for both Mother and Child, but conceal’d it ſo well, that I did not know it ’till ’twas too late.
Mean time, my Son grew up, and was ten Years old, when I was oblig’d to undertake a Journey: Before I went, I recommended to my Wife, of whom I had no Miſtruſt, the Slave and her Son, and pray’d her to take care of ’em during my Abſence, which was for a whole Year. She made uſc of that time to ſatisfy her Hatred; ſhe applied her ſelf to Magick, and when ſhe knew enough of that diabolical Art, to execute her horrible Contrivance, the Wretch carried my Son toa deſolate Place, where, by her Inchantments, ſhe chang’d my Son into a Calf, and gave him to my Farmer to fatten pretending ſhe had bought him. Her Fury did nor ſtop at this abominable Action, but ſhe likewiſe chang’d the Slave into a Cow, and gave her alſo to my Farmer.
At my Return, I ask’d for the Mother and Child: Your Slave, ſays ſhe, is dead, and for your Son, I know not what is become of him, I have not ſeen him theſe two Months. I was-troubled at the Death of the Slave, butmy
