You remember your husband's sister whom you
tormented so much? She died, but then God caused her to be born again
as your daughter, that she might torment you and punish you for having
been so unkind to her in her former life when she was your
sister-in-law."

"Is that true?" said the woman.

"Quite true," answered the fakir, "and that is why I laughed the third
time. But now would you like to hear something I wish to tell you? If
you promise not to cry, I will tell it you."

"I promise not to cry, so tell me," she said.

"Then listen," said Nanaksa. "God has decreed that your husband shall
die to-morrow morning at ten o'clock. He will send four angels to
fetch him."

At this the poor woman began to cry bitterly.

"Do not cry," said the fakir. "I will tell you something more. Listen
to me. To-morrow morning at four o'clock you must get up, and make
your house quite clean and neat. Then buy new dishes and make all the
nicest and most delicious sweetmeats you can."

"I will do so," she answered.

When it was yet night she rose, and did all the fakir had bidden her.
Then she went to him and said, "The sweetmeats are ready." "Now," said
Nanaksa, "go and get a fine, clean cloth; take it and the sweetmeats
with you, and set out and walk on and on till you come to a plain
which is a long way from this. But you must go on till you reach it,
and on it you will see a tank and a tree. By the tank and the tree you
must spread your cloth and lay out your sweetmeats on it. At nine
o'clock you will see four men, who will come and bathe in the tank.
When they have bathed they will come towards you, and you must say to
them, 'See! you are four angels, therefore you must eat some of my
sweetmeats.'"

The woman set out for the plain and did all Nanaksa had told her to
do; and everything happened as he had foretold. When the four men had
bathed, they came towards the woman, and she said to them, "See! you
are four angels, and therefore you must eat some of my sweetmeats."
The chief of the four angels, who was called Jabra'il, and the three
other angels answered, "We have no money, wherewith to buy your
sweetmeats, so how can we eat any of them?" "Never mind the money,"
said the woman; "you can pay me another day. Come now and eat some."
So the four angels sat down and ate a great many of her sweetmeats.

When they had finished they stood up and said to each other, "Now we
must go to the village and fetch the merchant." Then th