“I took a stone and killed the ant and the whole nest of ants.”
“This also is a parable; because one ant bit thee the whole nest was destroyed. Man is the ant; if man transgresseth he and all his race must suffer.”
Yet the man comprehended not: whereupon the Great God granted him another seven days to retire and to meditate upon the parables of the giant tree and the ant.
Again the man came to the appointed place at the end of seven days’ seeking to receive fuller knowledge and understanding. The Great God had not yet appeared, so the man took a walk in the forest to await His coming. As he wandered aimlessly about, he met a stranger carrying a small net in his hand out of which he was eating some food. Now this stranger was a demon, but the man did not know it.
“Where art thou going?” asked the stranger affably after the manner of the country.
“Just to walk for my pleasure,” replied the man; “what food art thou eating?”
“Only some cakes of bread which I find very tasty; take some and eat.” And he passed the net to him.
“Thy offer is kindly made, but do not take it amiss that I refuse to accept thy bread, for it is decreed that we shall live on rice alone.”
“Even so, but surely to take a morsel to taste would not be wrong.”
This time the man did not resist, but accepted a cake of bread and ate it with enjoyment, after which the stranger departed, taking his bag of cakes with him.