The Destruction of the Bet-Abgalaj.

Dasit, son of Gäbrat, was from the Bet-Abgalaj. He sold a field to Chief Tedros for cows; he was to get the best one, and a two-toothed and a four-toothed (3) heifer. Afterwards be came to Chief Tedros, to receive the cows. The chieftain said to him: » Choose thou thyself the best one». Dasit said to him: »Select thou thyself the best one for me, 1, what understanding have I?» And chief Tedros had one cow left during the day from milking, (a cow big and beautiful) but in reality the poorest milk cow; he let this one be milked for him, and she filled a whole measure.
After he had received this one, she showed herself to be a dry cow. And Dasit said (to the chieftain: »Exchange the cow for me, she is a dry cow, and surely I sold the field to thee to be delivered from famine». Chief Tedros, however, refused, saying: »We have certainly made the choice before.» And Dasit said to his father's house: »I shall then die (4) together with chief Tedros; save ye yourselves.» And they gave no heed to it.
One day Dasit, son of Gäbrat, ground his axe and offered it for sale, saying: »An axe, an
axe!» And Ware-Sab, son of Jagin, said to him: »What askest thou for it?» And he replied: »A shernmat" (1) Ware-Sab said to him: »Shemmat: thou mayest as well demand a big camel.» - And he said: »Camel - yes, something like it.» And he went to chief Tedros, and the latter sat there with his mantle over his head. And Dasit struck him three times on his head with his axe, and the brains ran out. And when they said to Beemnat, son of Tedros: »Thy father, Dasit has killed him», he thouglit that it was Dasit, son of Jagin, and look his weapons and went out. But afterwards they informed him that Dasit, son of Gäbrat, hid killed him. And so they beat Dasit, Gäbrat's son, to death with sticks on the very spot.
Thereupon the Ad-Gäbres and the Ad-Ajlaj arose together, and in revenge for chief Tedros massacred the whole of the Bet-Abgalaj, both small and large. But some few only were saved in some hiding place. And, furthermore, about ten escaped by flight, and in order to overtake these, they (the pursuers) broke up. And afterwards they (the former) passed a night in i village at Gas- Gamrot. When the Ad-Gäbres were informed oftheir night-quarters, they stole upon them and killed them; two of them only survived. The one, Bajraj, son of Beemnat, followed the Ad- Temarjam, and commenced the plundering together with them, and they kille Adala, son of Aggaba. And the other one, Bajraj, son of Fekrit, betook himself to Sahar. He afterwards guided the Sahars, in order that he might plunder the Mänsas. And chief Tedros fell to all their orphans with the exception



(1) See Littmann, Publications of the Princeton expedition to Abyssinia, Leyden 1910, 11, p. 134, note 11.
(2) Ibid II, p. 126, note 1 ; compare p. 137.
(3) A heifer of three or four years of age.
(4) "kill chief Tedros and die myself»!