_ 289 _ years, sustaining himself throughout with a loaf of barley and a cup of water which an old woman, his devotee, brought him each day. When these seven years had passed, forty devout virgins heard of the miracle of this blessed saint, and of how he was alive there after so many years; and they determined to go and see him. Leaving their country, they went to the one where this king was, but when he heard of their arrival and the reason for it he had them captured. As they would not forbear to confess the faith of Christ and the sanctity of the blessed saint, he had them killed. As this took the greater part of the day, the old woman who took food to the blessed saint arrived late. It was her habit always to come very early. When the saint asked her the cause of her lateness, the old woman told him everything. The blessed saint asked why this pig had done this. At these words, suddenly, by divine intervention, the king was changed into a pig and went into the wood near the River Araks. In a place called Ahar, the first place Noah founded when he came out of the ark as will be described later - there lived a brother of this king. When he heard of his transformation, he wept most bitterly and tore out the hairs of his beard. He was most disconsolate because he could not find a remedy for his brother and did not know
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