The one who was transmuted into a bear was a shemale** [871]...

The one who was transmuted into a bear was a shemale** [871] ** who invited men to herself. And the ones that were transmuted into swine were a Christian tribe who asked their Lord to descend water for them. Then when it rained, they blasphemed more and denied God more strongly than before. And the ones that were transmuted into monkeys were a tribe who violated the Shabbat** [872] ** . And the one that was transmuted into a seal was a pimp who invited men to make love to his own wife.

And the one that was transmuted into a lizard was a Bedouin Arab who robbed the pilgrims’ crosiers** [873] ** . And the one that was transmuted into a bat was a man who robbed the fruits from the top of palm trees. And the one that was transmuted into a leech was a slanderer who caused disunion between loved ones. And the one who was transmuted into a scorpion was a vulgar man who bothered everyone with his tongue.

And the one who was transmuted into a spider was a woman who was disloyal to her husband. And the one that was transmuted into a rabbit was a woman who would not purify herself after menstruation etc. And the one who was transmuted into Canopus was a tax-collector in Yemen. And the one who was transmuted into Venus was a Christian woman who was from some of the Israel monarchs with whom Harut and Marut practiced black witchcraft. [874] Her name was Naheel but the people called her Naheed.

The compiler of the book - may God be pleased with him - said, “The people made a mistake about Venus and Canopus and said that they were stars while it was not so.

They were transmuted into two aqueous creatures بن جعفر، عن معتب مولى جعفر، عن جعفر بن محمد، عن أبيه، عن جده، عن علي بن أبي طالب عليهم السلام قال: سألت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله عن المسوخ، فقال: هم ثلاثة عشر: الفيل والدب والخنزير والقرد والجريث والضب والوطواط والدعموص والعقرب والعنكبوت والارنب وسهيل والزهرة {.t0} فقيل: يا رسول الله ما كان سبب مسخهم؟ فقال: اما الفيل فكان رجلا لوطيا لا يدع رطبا ولا يابسا. وأما الدب فكان رجلا مؤنثا يدعو الرجال إلى نفسه.

وأما الخنازير فكانوا قوما نصارى سألوا ربهم إنزال المائدة عليهم فلما انزلت عليهم كانوا أشد ما كانوا كفرا وأشد تكذيبا، وأما القردة فقوم اعتدوا في السبت. وأما الجريث فكان رجلا ديوثا يدعو الرجال إلى حليلته. وأما الضب فكان رجلا أعرابيا يسرق الحاج بمحجنه. وأما الوطواط فكان رجلا يسرق الثمار من رؤوس النخل. وأما الدعموص فكان نماما يفرق بين الاحبة. وأما العقرب فكان رجلا لذاعا لا يسلم على لسانه أحد. وأما العنكبوت فكانت امرأة تخون زوجها.