There was a small community of monks living in the Egyptian desert, and one day several of them came to the Abba, the spiritual father of the community. "We have reason to believe one of the monks is being visited by a woman at night." they told him. "We thought you should be informed." That evening, after night fall, the Abba paid a visit to the monk accused of unchastity. When he arrived at the monk's cell, he knocked on the door and was invited in by the monk, who was clearly quite astonished to have the holy old man visit him at that hour. Coming in, the Abba saw a large basket in a corner and seated himself on top of it while he visited amiably with the monk. A few minutes into the conversation a knock came at the door and a large group of monks pushed their way in. They had observed the Abba go to the monk's cell and had come to see the monk shamefaced and also to see what punishment would be meted out. Imagine their surprise when they found the Abba and the monk quietly engaged in conversation and no sign of a woman anywhere. Baffled and disappointed, they all returned to their cells and went to sleep. When they were all gone and the Abba was alone with the monk, he came down off the top of the basket, removed the lid and, addressing the woman inside, said she could now return to her home. Following her to the door, the Abba prepared to leave himself and it appeared he would say nothing to the monk at all. Then, just before leaving, he turned to the monk and said: "Attend to yourself," bade him goodnight and returned to his cell.