e woman made
them a great many salaams and said, "That merchant is my husband.
Still, if it is your pleasure to take him away, take him away."

At this the angels were sad, and said to her, "How can we take your
husband's life now that we have eaten your food? But stay under this
tree till we return, and then we will pay you for your sweetmeats."

So the angels left her, and the wife waited under the tree. She was
very sad; and after some time she thought, "Now I will go home:
perhaps these angels are gone to take his life;" and then she cried
bitterly and remained under the tree.

Meanwhile the four angels had gone back to God, who asked them, "Have
you brought the merchant?" They were sorry not to have brought him,
and told God all that had happened. And God was very angry; but he
said to them. "Never mind. I know the fakir Nanaksa is with the
merchant and his wife just now, and it is he who has played you this
trick."

Then God wrote a letter in which he promised the merchant twenty years
more life, only at the end of the twenty years he was really to die
and not to be allowed to live any longer. This letter he gave to the
angels, and bade them take it to the merchant's wife and tell her to
have a silver box made, into which she was to put the letter, and
then hang it round her husband's neck, so that he should live for
twenty years more.

The four angels came down to earth again, and went to the tree under
which they had left the woman. They found her waiting for them, and
gave her the letter saying, "You must get a silver box made and put
this letter in it; then hang it round your husband's neck, so that he
may live for twenty years more."

The woman thanked them, and was very happy. She took the letter and
went home. There she found her husband quite well, and with him was
Nanaksa. She gave Nanaksa the letter and told him what the angels had
bidden her do with it. Nanaksa read the letter, and was very much
pleased. Then he said to her, "Call a silversmith here, and let him
make you the silver box. Then you must get a great dinner ready, and
ask all your friends, rich and poor, to come and eat it."

All this she did, and when the dinner was ready and all their friends
had come, the fakir said, "None who are here, men, women, or children,
must eat, till they have put their hands before their faces and
worshipped God." Everybody hid his face in his hands at once and
worshipped God: while they did this the fa