Abbaye said: I used to think that the reason one ought not to sit under a gutter is because the water might run down upon one; but that is not the reason, for I have learned that there is grave danger in sitting under a spout, for the evil spirits dwell under the rain spout. Once it happened that two poor men who earned their living by carrying baggage on a pole were carrying a barrel of wine. Wishing to take a rest, they

put down the barrel on the ground under a rain pipe. Suddenly the barrel on the pole broke and the wine ran out on the ground. So they went to R. Ashi, who was then head of the college (yeshibah).

R. Ashi, knowing that this was the work of evil spirits, uttered a spell, conjuring

the demon who had done the deed to present himself before his court. The guilty demon appeared before him. R. Ashi said to the demon: "Tell me, why did you break the barrel of wine of these poor people?"

The demon replied: "Because they put the barrel in my ear as I was lying asleep."

R. Ashi said: "Why did you lie down in a spot where the people are accustomed to walk? You must pay these men for the wine, or they will bring a charge against

you."

The demon said: "Dear Rabbi, set a time and I will pay."

The Rabbi set a time. When the time came for him to pay those people, the demon did not appear, but soon after the fixed term had expired he came.

So R. Ashi asked him: "Why did you not come at the appointed, time?"

The demon replied: "I will tell you the reason why I did not come, because no demon has power over anything that is counted, sealed or tied up. A demon can only take of those things that are neither sealed nor counted nor tied up. This is the reason why I delayed payment."