More Melvin!

And Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how often must I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

And Jesus said, "That depends. What has Andrew been doing to you?"

"Well, not just my brother brother," Peter said, "but anybody who sins against me."

Jesus replied, "But you did say your brother. Does this have anything to do with his repeated swiping of your fish bait today?"

"W-e-l-l . . .*" creaked Pete.

"Because he's done that six times today, by my count. Then again, I've been a bit distracted with all of the giving sight to the lame and making the leper walk again and cleansing the deaf of their rash and raising the demon-possessed and whatnot."

"Giving sight to the lame?"

Jesus sighed wearily. "It's been a very long and trying day. I could get more done if it weren't for that fruit stand guy hollering in my ear all day about what kind of melons he has to sell." By this he meant Melvin, the melon merchant, and Peter nodded and spit out a watermelon seed.

Then Jesus commanded his disciples, saying, "Bring me your bait buckets."And he blessed them, and returned them to the men, and they overflowed with wriggling and crawling bait of every sort. And when they had picked up all the escapees, it was enough to fill twelve baskets.

"There," Jesus said. "Now if Andrew swipes your bait again, feel free to kick him in the shins."

And Peter asked, "Up to seven times?"

Jesus sighed again, and restored the hearing of a blind beggar.
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*A very peculiar Aramaic construction, this one!