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he says: “Do you see,” he says, “these stones?” “I see them,” I say, “sir.” “I,” he says, “will quarry the greater part of these stones and put them into the building, and they will fit with the rest of the stones.” “How,” I say, “sir, can they, having been cut, fill the same place?” Answering, he says to me: “As many as are found to be small will be placed into the middle of the building, but as many as are larger will be placed on the outside and will hold them together.” Having spoken these things to me, he says to me: “Let us go, and after two days let us come and clean these stones, and let us put them into the building; for all the things around the tower must be cleaned, lest the master come suddenly and find the things around the tower filthy and be offended, and these stones will not go into the building of the tower, and I will seem to be negligent in the master’s sight.” And after two days we came to the tower, and he says to me: “Let us examine all the stones and see those that are able to go into the building.” I say to him: “Sir, let us examine them.” And beginning first, we examined the black stones. And as they had been taken from the building, so they were also found. And the shepherd commanded them to be removed from the tower and separated. Then he examined those that were scabby, and taking them he quarried many of them, and commanded the maidens to lift them and put them into the building. And the maidens lifted them and placed them in the middle of the building of the tower. But the rest he commanded to be placed with the black ones; for these too were found to be black. Then he examined those that had cracks; and of these he quarried many and commanded them to be carried by the maidens into the building; and they were placed on the outside, because they were found to be sounder. But the rest, because of the multitude of the cracks, could not be quarried; for this reason, therefore, they were rejected from the building of the tower. Then he examined the mutilated ones, and many among them were found black, and some had made great cracks; and he commanded these also to be placed with the rejected ones. But the remaining ones of them, having cleaned and quarried them, he commanded to be placed into the building. And the maidens, lifting them, fitted them into the middle of the building of the tower; for they were weaker. Then he examined those that were half white and half black; and many of them were found to be black. And he commanded these also to be lifted with the rejected ones. But all the rest were lifted by the maidens; for being white they were fitted by the maidens themselves into the building; and they were placed on the outside, because they were found sound, so that they could support those placed in the middle; for nothing at all of them was mutilated. Then he examined the rough and hard ones, and a few of them were rejected because they could not be quarried; for they were found to be exceedingly hard. But the rest of them were quarried and were lifted by the maidens and fitted into the middle of the building of the tower; for they were weaker. Then he examined those that had spots, and of these very few became black, and were rejected with the rest. But the remaining ones were found bright and sound; and these were fitted by the maidens into the building; and they were placed on the outside on account of their strength. Then he came to examine the white and round stones, and says to me: “What shall we do about these stones?” “What,” I say, “do I know, sir?” “Do you then think of nothing about them?” “I,” I say, “sir, do not have this art, nor am I a quarryman, nor am I able to understand.” “Do you not see them,”

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λέγει· Βλέπεις, φησί, τοὺς λίθους τούτους; Βλέπω, φημί, κύριε. Ἐγώ, φησί, τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος τῶν λίθων τούτων λατομήσω καὶ βαλῶ εἰς τὴν οἰκο δομήν, καὶ ἁρμόσουσι μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν λίθων. Πῶς, φημί, κύριε, δύναν ται περικοπέντες τὸν αὐτὸν τόπον πληρῶσαι; ἀποκριθεὶς λέγει μοι· Ὅσοι μικροὶ εὑρεθήσονται, εἰς μέσην τὴν οἰκοδομὴν βληθήσονται, ὅσοι δὲ μείζονες, ἐξώτεροι τεθήσονται καὶ συγκρατήσουσιν αὐτούς. ταῦτά μοι λαλήσας λέγει μοι· Ἄγωμεν καὶ μετὰ ἡμέρας δύο ἔλθωμεν καὶ καθαρίσωμεν τοὺς λίθους τούτους, καὶ βάλωμεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομήν· τὰ γὰρ κύκλῳ τοῦ πύργου πάντα καθαρισθῆναι δεῖ, μήποτε ὁ δεσπότης ἐξάπινα ἔλθῃ καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν πύργον ·υπαρὰ εὕρῃ καὶ προσοχθίσῃ, καὶ οὗτοι οἱ λίθοι οὐκ ἀπε λεύσονται εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ πύργου, κἀγὼ ἀμελὴς δόξω εἶναι παρὰ τῷ δεσπότῃ. καὶ μετὰ ἡμέρας δύο ἤλθομεν πρὸς τὸν πύργον, καὶ λέγει μοι· Κατανοήσωμεν τοὺς λίθους πάντας καὶ ἴδωμεν τοὺς δυναμένους εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν ἀπελθεῖν. λέγω αὐτῷ· Κύριε, κατανοήσωμεν. Καὶ ἀρξάμενοι πρῶτον τοὺς μέλανας κατενοοῦμεν λίθους. καὶ οἷοι ἐκ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς ἐτέθησαν, τοιοῦτοι καὶ εὑρέθησαν. καὶ ἐκέλευσεν αὐτοὺς ὁ ποιμὴν ἐκ τοῦ πύργου μετενεχθῆναι καὶ χωρισθῆναι. εἶτα κατενόησε τοὺς ἐψωριακότας, καὶ λαβὼν ἐλατόμησε πολλοὺς ἐξ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐκέλευσε τὰς παρθένους ἆραι αὐτοὺς καὶ βαλεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομήν. καὶ ἦραν αὐτοὺς αἱ παρθένοι καὶ ἔθηκαν εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ πύργου μέσου. τοὺς δὲ λοι ποὺς ἐκέλευσε μετὰ τῶν μελάνων τεθῆναι· καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι μέλανες εὑρέ θησαν. εἶτα κατενόει τοὺς τὰς σχισμὰς ἔχοντας· καὶ ἐκ τούτων πολλοὺς ἐλατόμησε καὶ ἐκέλευσε διὰ τῶν παρθένων εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν ἀπενεχθῆναι· ἐξώτεροι δὲ ἐτέθησαν, ὅτι ὑγιέστεροι εὑρέθησαν. οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν σχισμάτων οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν λατομηθῆναι· διὰ ταύτην οὖν τὴν αἰτίαν ἀπε βλήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τοῦ πύργου. εἶτα κατενόει τοὺς κολοβούς, καὶ εὑρέθησαν πολλοὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς μέλανες, τινὲς δὲ σχισμὰς μεγάλας πεποιη κότες· καὶ ἐκέλευσε καὶ τούτους τεθῆναι μετὰ τῶν ἀποβεβλημένων. τοὺς δὲ περισσεύοντας αὐτῶν καθαρίσας καὶ λατομήσας ἐκέλευσεν εἰς τὴν οἰκο δομὴν τεθῆναι. αἱ δὲ παρθένοι αὐτοὺς ἄρασαι εἰς μέσην τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ πύργου ἥρμοσαν· ἀσθενέστεροι γὰρ ἦσαν. εἶτα κατενόει τοὺς ἡμίσεις λευκούς, ἡμίσεις δὲ μέλανας· καὶ πολλοὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν εὑρέθησαν μέλανες. ἐκέ λευσε δὲ καὶ τούτους ἀρθῆναι μετὰ τῶν ἀποβεβλημένων. οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ πάντες ἤρθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν παρθένων· λευκοὶ γὰρ ὄντες ἡρμόσθησαν ὑπ' αὐτῶν τῶν παρθένων εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομήν· ἐξώτεροι δὲ ἐτέθησαν, ὅτι ὑγιεῖς εὑρέθησαν, ὥστε δύνασθαι αὐτοὺς κρατεῖν τοὺς εἰς τὸ μέσον τεθέντας· ὅλως γὰρ ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐδὲν ἐκολοβώθη. εἶτα κατενόει τοὺς τραχεῖς καὶ σκληρούς, καὶ ὀλίγοι ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπεβλήθησαν διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι λατομηθῆναι· σκληροὶ γὰρ λίαν εὑρέθησαν. οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ αὐτῶν ἐλατομήθησαν καὶ ἤρθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν παρθένων καὶ εἰς μέσην τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ πύργου ἡρμόσθησαν· ἀσθενέστε ροι γὰρ ἦσαν. εἶτα κατενόει τοὺς ἔχοντας τοὺς σπίλους, καὶ ἐκ τούτων ἐλάχιστοι ἐμελάνησαν, καὶ ἀπεβλήθησαν πρὸς τοὺς λοιπούς. οἱ δὲ περισ σεύοντες λαμπροὶ καὶ ὑγιεῖς εὑρέθησαν· καὶ οὗτοι ἡρμόσθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν παρ θένων εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομήν· ἐξώτεροι δὲ ἐτέθησαν διὰ τὴν ἰσχυρότητα αὐτῶν. Eἶτα ἦλθε κατανοῆσαι τοὺς λευκοὺς καὶ στρογγύλους λίθους, καὶ λέγει μοι· Τί ποιοῦμεν περὶ τούτων τῶν λίθων; Τί, φημί, ἐγὼ γινώσκω, κύριε; Oὐδὲν οὖν ἐπινοεῖς περὶ αὐτῶν; Ἐγώ, φημί, κύριε, ταύτην τὴν τέχνην οὐκ ἔχω, οὐδὲ λατόμος εἰμί, οὐδὲ δύναμαι νοῆσαι. Oὐ βλέπεις αὐτούς,