III.
WHY HAS THE OX NO HAIR ON HIS NOSE?
Q. Why has the ox no hair on his nose?
R. When the Israelites were going round Jericho with Joshua in order to destroy it, they brought him successively a horse, an ass, and a mule to ride upon, but they all died, for Joshua was a very heavy man. Then they brought an ox and he carried him on his back. When he saw this Joshua kissed the ox on his nose, and for this reason the ox has no hair on that spot (f. 25a).
IV.
WHY DOES THE CAT EAT MICE MORE THAN ANY OTHER CREEPING THING?
Q. Why does the cat eat mice more than any other creeping thing?
R. In the beginning the cat and the mouse were friends. At one time the mouse went and accused the cat falsely before God, and said, “Lord of the Universe, the cat and I are companions and we have now nothing to eat.” God replied, “Thou hast brought a false accusation against thy friend in order to be able to eat him. Now the reverse is to happen, the cat will eat thee and thou shalt serve her as food.” The mouse replied, “Lord of the Universe, what have I done?” And God said, “O thou unclean creature! Hast thou not heard what happened to the sun and moon which originally were of equal size, but because the moon brought a false accusation against (slandered) the sun, I have reduced its size and made it smaller than the sun? So also hast thou slandered thy companion in order to eat him, and he therefore will eat thee.” “If that be so,” the mouse replied, “then the cat will surely utterly destroy me.” And God replied, “I will leave thee a remnant as I have done to the moon.”
Then the mouse went, and springing on the head of the cat began to bite it. The cat then threw the mouse on the ground and killed it.
From that time on, the fear of the cat fell upon the mice, and for this reason does the cat eat the mouse (f. 25b).
(The Hebrew word used for cat is חתול which originally means weasel!)
V.
WHY DOES THE ASS MIX HIS WATER WITH THAT OF OTHER ASSES, AND SMELL THE DUNG?
Q. Why does the ass mix his water with that of other asses and smell the dung?
R. When God had created all the beings, the ass said to the horse and mule, “Every creature has some time of rest, but we are destined to work on continuously without any rest. Let us pray to God to give us also some time of respite, and if our prayer be not heard let us decide no longer to procreate so that we may die out.” So they prayed, but their prayer was not heard. But God said, “When your water becomes rivers to drive mills thereby, and when your dung has the smell of perfume, then you will obtain your respite.” And this is the answer to the question (f. 25b).
VI.
WHY DOES THE DOG FIGHT THE CAT?
Q. Why is there enmity between the cat and the dog?
R. When the cat (weasel) was created it became the companion of the dog. Both hunted together and ate together of the prey. It so happened at one time that two or three days had passed and they had not got anything to eat. Then the dog said to the cat, “Why are we sitting here a hungered? Go to Adam and sit in his house and be fed there, and we will go after the creeping things and reptiles and will feed upon them, and we shall both be kept alive.” The cat then replied to the dog, “Let it be so, but we must take an oath that we will not go both together to one master.” He replied, “Thou hast spoken well.” There and then they both took an oath, and the cat went to the house of Adam, where she found mice, which she caught and ate: the rest ran away from her. When Adam saw what had happened, he said, “A great salvation (“cure”) has God sent me.”
Then he took the cat into his house and fed it and gave it to drink.
The dog went to the wolf and said unto him, “Let me come and spend the night with thee.” He replied, “Very well.” Both went to a cave to sleep there. In the night the dog heard the footsteps of the various animals, so he woke the wolf and told him, “I heard the steps of thieves.” The wolf replied, “Go out to them and drive them away.”
The beasts turned upon him to kill him. The dog fled away and went to the ape, but the ape drove him away. Then he went to the sheep. The sheep received him and allowed him to sleep there. He heard the noise of feet and he said to the sheep, “I hear the footsteps of robbers.” The sheep replied, “Go out.” The dog went out, and began to bark. The wolves said, “Surely sheep are there.” So they went thither and ate the sheep.
The dog fled away and went from place to place trying to find some shelter, but could not find any. At last he came to Adam, who took him in and allowed him to sleep there. In the middle of the night the dog said to Adam, “I hear the noise of footsteps.” Adam rose at once, took his spear, and going out with the dog drove the wild beasts away and returned home with the dog. Then Adam said to the dog, “Come into my house, dwell with me, eat of my food and drink of my water.” And the dog went with him. When the cat heard the voice of the dog she came out to him and said, “Why dost thou come thither to my place?” And he replied, “Adam has brought me hither.” Adam said to the cat, “Why dost thou quarrel with him? I have brought him in, for I found him clever and full of courage. Thou needst not grieve, thou shalt be kept also as before.” The cat replied, “My Lord, he is a thief, is it right to dwell in one place with a thief?” And the cat went on to say to the dog, “Why hast thou broken (transgressed) thy oath?” He replied, “I will not enter thy dwelling place, I will not eat of anything that belongs to thee, I will not cause thee the least harm.” But the cat did not listen and began to quarrel.
When the dog saw this, he went away from the house of Adam, and going to that of Seth, dwelt there. And the dog tried all the time to make peace with the cat, but it was all in vain. In that state they have remained to this very day, in constant enmity, for the children follow the example of their forebears: as the proverb has it: sheep follow sheep (f. 25b, 26a).
VII.
WHY IS IT THAT THE DOG RECOGNISES HIS MASTER AND THE CAT DOES NOT?
Q. Why is it that the dog recognises his master and the cat does not?
R. Whoever eats of anything at which mice have nibbled forgets what he has been taught. It is only natural that he who eats the mouse itself should forget his master (f. 26b).
VIII.
WHY IS THERE A SEAM IN THE MOUTH OF THE MOUSE?
Q. Why is there a seam in the mouth of the mouse?
R. At the time of the Flood, all kinds of creeping things and reptiles had come into the Ark, male and female. Once upon a time the mouse and its mate were sitting by the cat, when the cat suddenly said, “I remember that in former times my forefathers used to eat yours, and what they did then I might as well do now.” With these words the cat sprang at the mouse wishing to eat it. The mouse fled and sought for a hole to hide itself, but could not find any. A miracle happened, and a hole appeared which the mouse entered and hid itself. The cat came to the hole and tried to follow the mouse, but could not, as the hole was very narrow. So she put her paw into it with the intention of dragging it out. The mouse opened its mouth. So the cat cut its lower chin open with its nail about half the length of a span. When the cat had gone away the mouse crept out of the hole and running to Noah said to him, “O thou righteous man, do me an act of charity and sew up the chin, which my enemy the cat has torn open.” Noah replied, “Go to the pig and bring me one of the bristles of its tail.” He went and brought it to Noah, who sewed up the chin. To this very day the seam can be seen (f. 26b).
IX.
WHY DOES THE RAVEN HOP IN ITS WALK?
Q. Why does the raven hop in its walk?
R. Once upon a time the raven saw how beautiful was the stepping (walk) of the dove, more beautiful than that of all the other birds. He liked the walk of the doves very much, and he said to himself, “I will also put my feet in the same step.” And he nearly broke his bones in the attempt to imitate the dove. The other birds laughed and mocked at him. The raven felt ashamed and he said, “Let me return to my former walk.” So he tried to walk as before, but he could not, for he had forgotten it. Thus he remained with a halting step, like one who is jumping, neither walking as before, nor being able to walk as the dove (f. 26b).
X.
WHY DOES THE RAVEN MATE DIFFERENTLY FROM ANY OTHER BIRD?
Q. Why does the raven mate differently from any other bird?
R. There are various explanations. One is that he has been punished for his lewdness in the Ark, and for the same reason also the dog has been punished.
Others say, because he is wicked, a thief, and froward. There is one answer which combines and explains it more satisfactorily. When Noah wanted to send the raven to see whether the waters were falling, the raven fled and hid himself under the eagle’s wing. Noah searched after him and found him there under the wing of the eagle. He said to him, “Go, thou wicked one, and see whether the waters are falling.” The raven replied, “Hast thou not found any other bird but me.” Noah replied, “I can only send one of the two birds whose first letter is either Ain or Yod.” The raven replied, “Why not the eagle and dove”? (Nun, Yod). Noah said, “Because there will be a town in existence called Ai (עי) whose inhabitants will kill Yair, who will forbid the raven (עורב) and permit the dove (יונת) (to eat).” Then the raven replied impudently to Noah, “The reason why thou hast chosen to send me out is that thou wishest to kill me in order to marry my mate, as I belong to those birds of which thou hast introduced into the Ark only one pair.”
When Noah heard these words, he cursed the raven that he should mate differently from any other bird, and all the birds in the Ark replied Amen. Then the raven replied, “Why hast thou cursed me? I have a legal complaint against thee.” Noah replied, “Because thou art lewd and foolish and dost suspect innocent people. If I do not approach my own wife, who is like unto me, whilst we are in the Ark, how can I approach thy wife, who is so different from a human being, and moreover is forbidden unto me as a married female?”
The raven said, “Why dost thou call me lewd (fornicator)?” Noah replied, “Thine own words prove thine immorality, I have not made thee an evil name.” And thus it has remained according to Noah’s curse (f. 26b–27a).
XI.
WHY ARE THERE NO COUNTERPART TO THE FOX AND THE WEASEL AMONG THE CREATURES OF THE SEA? AND THE STORY OF THE FOX’S HEART AND THE FISHES.
Q. Why are there no counterpart to the fox and weasel (חולרה) in the sea? The story of the fox’s heart and the fishes.
R. Because they were cunning. When God had created the angel of death, he saw the creatures, and he said to God, “Lord of the Universe, grant me permission to kill them.” God replied, “Thou shalt have power over all the creatures of the earth except the descendants of the bird Milham, who are not to taste the taste of death.” He said, “O Lord, separate them from the rest if they are so pious, so that they do not learn the evil ways of the others and come to sin.” God at once granted him his request. He built for them a great town and he placed them therein, and he sealed up the gate of that town, and he said, “It has been decreed (by God) that neither my sword, nor that of anyone else should have power over you unto the end of all generations.” The angel of death returned then to God, who said to him, “Throw the pair of each created being into the sea and over the rest thou shalt have power.” The angel did as he was told, and he threw into the sea a pair of each created being. When the fox saw what he was doing, he began crying and weeping. The angel asked him, “Why art thou weeping?” The fox replied, “I cry for my friend whom thou hast thrown into the sea.” The angel asked him, “Where is thy friend?” The fox then went and stood close to the edge of the water and the angel saw his shadow in the water, and he believed that he had indeed thrown a pair of his friends into the sea, and he said to the fox, “Get thee hence.” The fox ran quickly away and was thus saved.
On his way he met the weasel, and he told her all that had happened and what he had done. The weasel did likewise and escaped also from being thrown into the sea.
After the lapse of one year since these things had happened, did Leviathan gather together before him all the creatures of the sea, and it was found that neither fox nor weasel was among them. So he sent for them, but he was told what the fox had done to escape from being thrown into the sea. Moreover, they told Leviathan that the fox was very cunning. When Leviathan heard of his great intelligence, he became jealous of him. He sent large fishes to go and fetch him, by deceiving him and luring him away, and then to bring the fox to him. They went and found him walking leisurely along the seashore. When the fox saw the fishes approach and play about close to him, he entered into conversation with them. When they saw him, they asked him, “Who art thou?” He answered, “I am the fox.” They said to him, “Dost thou not know that great honour is awaiting thee and it is for this purpose that we have come hither. He said, “What is it?” They replied, “Leviathan is sick unto death, and has left the command that no one else is to rule after him as king but the fox, for he is the most cunning of all the beasts. Thereafter, you now come with us, for we have been sent to offer thee this honour.” He said to them, “How can I go into the sea and not be drowned?” They replied, “Ride on the back of one of us and we will carry thee safely over the waters of the sea, so that not even a drop of water shall touch the tip of thy nose until thou reachest the kingly palace. Then we will lower thee down into it and there thou wilt rule over all of us, and thou wilt rejoice all the days of thy life, and thou wilt no longer have to search for food, and be exposed to be hunted by mighty beasts and to be eaten by them.”
When the fox heard these words, he believed them, and mounting on the back of a mighty fish started with them on a journey on the sea. When the waves began to play round him he began to be anxious. His wit had forsaken him. Then he recovered himself and said, “Woe unto me, what have I done? The fishes have tricked me worse than I have ever tricked all the other beasts. Now that I have fallen into their hands how can I escape?”
He then said to them, “I have come with you and I am now at your mercy. You may tell me what is it that you really want of me.” They replied, “We will tell thee the truth. Leviathan had heard of thy reputation, that thou art very cunning, so he said to himself, I will cut his belly open and will eat his heart, and thus shall I become also very wise.”
The fox said to them, “Why did you not tell me the truth, for I would then have brought my heart with me. I would have given it to the king Leviathan and he would have shown me honour. You are now going to your own destruction.” They said to him, “Hast thou not thy heart with thee?” He replied, “No, for such is our habit that we leave our heart behind and we walk about without it; whenever we want it we fetch it, and if there is no necessity for it we leave it where it is.” So they said to him, “What shall we do now?”
He replied, “My place and my dwelling is close to the seashore, if you are willing to do it, bring me back to the place whence you have taken me. I will go and fetch my heart and return with you to Leviathan, who is sure to honour me greatly. If you, however, will bring me to him without my heart, he will be very angry with you and eat you up. For I will tell him that you had not told me anything before you took me away, and that when I heard from you the reason of your errand, I told you to carry me back and that you refused to do so.” The fishes then said at once, “Thou speakest well,” and they returned to the place at the seashore whence they had taken him. He went down from the back of the fishes, and jumping and frolicking about he rolled over and over in the sand. The fishes said to him, “Haste thee, do not tarry, for we must depart quickly.” He replied, “Ye fools, get yourselves away. If I had not had my heart I could not have gone with you into the sea. Is there any creature in existence moving about and not having a heart within?” They replied, “Thou hast mocked at us.” He replied, “If I got the best of the angel of death, how much more likely am I to get it of you?” They returned full of shame to the Leviathan and told him all that had happened. He replied, “He is truly cunning, and ye have proved to be fools. About such as you it is said, ‘The stupidity of the fools is the cause of their death,’” and so he ate them up.
Thus it has remained that although there are creatures in the sea corresponding to those on land, there are none like unto the fox and the weasel.
THE END.