13 But when the girl said, How handsome, ladies, that mule is! they replied with tears, and said, This mule, which you see, was our brother, born of this same mother as we;
14 For when our father died, and left us a very large estate, and we had only this brother, and we endeavoured to procure him a suitable match, and thought he should be married as other men, some giddy and jealous women bewitched him without our knowledge.
15 And we one night, a little before day, while the doors of the house were all shut fast, saw this our brother was changed into a mule, such as you now see him to be:
16 And we in the melancholy condition in which you see us, having no father to comfort us, have applied to all the wise men, magicians, and diviners in the world, but they have been of no service to us.
17 As often therefore as we find ourselves oppressed with grief, we rise and go with this our mother to our father's tomb, where, when we have cried sufficiently, we return home.
18 When the girl had heard this she said, Take courage, and cease your fears, for you have a remedy for your afflictions near at hand even amoung you and in the midst of your house.
19 For I was also leprous; but when I saw this woman, and this little infant with her, whose name is Jesus, I sprinkled my body with the water with which his mother had washed him and I was presently made well.
20 And I am certain that he is also capable of relieving you under your distress. Wherefore arise, go to my mistress Mary, and when you have brought her into your own parlour, disclose to her the secret, at the same time earnestly beseeching her to compassionate your case.
21 As soon as the women had heard the girl's discourse, they hastened away to the Lady St. Mary, introduced themselves to her, and sitting down before her, they wept.
22 And said, O our Lady St. Mary, pity your handmaids, for we have no head of our family, no one elder than us; no father or brother to go in or out before us.