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diff --git a/30577.txt b/30577.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c9a8c00 --- /dev/null +++ b/30577.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3638 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Told in the Coffee House, by Cyrus Adler and Allan Ramsay + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Told in the Coffee House + Turkish Tales + +Author: Cyrus Adler + Allan Ramsay + +Release Date: December 2, 2009 [EBook #30577] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOLD IN THE COFFEE HOUSE *** + + + + +Produced by Ritu Aggarwal and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + + TOLD IN THE COFFEE HOUSE + + + + + Told in the Coffee House + + Turkish Tales + + + Collected and done into English + by + CYRUS ADLER AND ALLAN RAMSAY + + + New York + The Macmillan Company + London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd. + 1898 + + _All rights reserved_ + + + COPYRIGHT, 1898, + By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. + + + Norwood Press + J. S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith + Norwood Mass. U.S.A. + + + + + PREFACE + + +In the course of a number of visits to Constantinople, I became much +interested in the tales that are told in the coffee houses. These are +usually little more than rooms, with walls made of small panes of +glass. The furniture consists of a tripod with a contrivance for +holding the kettle, and a fire to keep the coffee boiling. A carpeted +bench traverses the entire length of the room. This is occupied by +turbaned Turks, their legs folded under them, smoking nargilehs or +chibooks or cigarettes, and sipping coffee. A few will be engaged in a +game of backgammon, but the majority enter into conversation, at first +only in syllables, which gradually gives rise to a general discussion. +Finally, some sage of the neighborhood comes in, and the company +appeals to him to settle the point at issue. This he usually does by +telling a story to illustrate his opinion. Some of the stories told on +these occasions are adaptations of those already known in Arabic and +Persian literature, but the Turkish mind gives them a new setting and +a peculiar philosophy. They are characteristic of the habits, customs, +and methods of thought of the people, and for this reason seem worthy +of preservation. + +Two of these tales have been taken from the Armenian, and were +received from Dr. K. Ohannassian of Constantinople. For one, _The +Merciful Khan_, I am indebted to Mr. George Kennan. None of them has +been translated from any book or manuscript, and all are, as nearly as +practicable, in the form in which they are usually narrated. Most of +the stories have been collected by Mr. Allan Ramsay, who, by a long +residence in Constantinople, has had special opportunities for +learning to know the modern Turk. It is due to him, however, to say +that for the style and editing he is in no wise responsible, and that +all sins of omission and commission must be laid at my door. + + CYRUS ADLER. + COSMOS CLUB, WASHINGTON, + February 1, 1898. + + + + + CONTENTS + + + PAGE + HOW THE HODJA SAVED ALLAH 1 + BETTER IS THE FOLLY OF WOMAN THAN THE WISDOM OF MAN 13 + THE HANOUM AND THE UNJUST CADI 23 + WHAT HAPPENED TO HADJI, A MERCHANT OF THE BEZESTAN 29 + HOW THE JUNKMAN TRAVELLED TO FIND TREASURE IN HIS OWN YARD 35 + HOW CHAPKIN HALID BECAME CHIEF DETECTIVE 43 + HOW COBBLER AHMET BECAME THE CHIEF ASTROLOGER 52 + THE WISE SON OF ALI PASHA 65 + THE MERCIFUL KHAN 73 + KING KARA-KUSH OF BITHYNIA 77 + THE PRAYER RUG AND THE DISHONEST STEWARD 80 + THE GOOSE, THE EYE, THE DAUGHTER, AND THE ARM 84 + THE FORTY WISE MEN 89 + HOW THE PRIEST KNEW THAT IT WOULD SNOW 103 + WHO WAS THE THIRTEENTH SON? 107 + PARADISE SOLD BY THE YARD 120 + JEW TURNED TURK 126 + THE METAMORPHOSIS 130 + THE CALIF OMAR 138 + KALAIDJI AVRAM OF BALATA 140 + HOW MEHMET ALI PASHA OF EGYPT ADMINISTERED JUSTICE 144 + HOW THE FARMER LEARNED TO CURE HIS WIFE: A TURKISH AESOP 148 + THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS 153 + THE SWALLOW'S ADVICE 156 + WE KNOW NOT WHAT THE DAWN MAY BRING FORTH 158 + OLD MEN MADE YOUNG 161 + THE BRIBE 165 + HOW THE DEVIL LOST HIS WAGER 169 + THE EFFECTS OF RAKI 172 + + + + +HOW THE HODJA SAVED ALLAH + + +Not far from the famous Mosque Bayezid an old Hodja kept a school, and +very skilfully he taught the rising generation the everlasting lesson +from the Book of Books. Such knowledge had he of human nature that by +a glance at his pupil he could at once tell how long it would take him +to learn a quarter of the Koran. He was known over the whole Empire as +the best reciter and imparter of the Sacred Writings of the Prophet. +For many years this Hodja, famed far and wide as the Hodja of Hodjas, +had taught in this little school. The number of times he had recited +the Book with his pupils is beyond counting; and should we attempt to +consider how often he must have corrected them for some misplaced +word, our beards would grow gray in the endeavor. + +Swaying to and fro one day as fast as his old age would let him, and +reciting to his pupils the latter part of one of the chapters, Bakara, +divine inspiration opened his inward eye and led him to pause at the +following sentence: "And he that spends his money in the ways of Allah +is likened unto a grain of wheat that brings forth seven sheaves, and +in each sheaf an hundred grains; and Allah giveth twofold unto whom He +pleaseth." As his pupils, one after the other, recited this verse to +him, he wondered why he had overlooked its meaning for so many years. +Fully convinced that anything either given to Allah, or in the way +that He proposes, was an investment that brought a percentage +undreamed of in known commerce, he dismissed his pupils, and putting +his hand into his bosom drew forth from the many folds of his dress a +bag, and proceeded to count his worldly possessions. + +Carefully and attentively he counted and then recounted his money, and +found that if invested in the ways of Allah it would bring a return of +no less than one thousand piasters. + +"Think of it," said the Hodja to himself, "one thousand piasters! One +thousand piasters! Mashallah! a fortune." + +So, having dismissed his school, he sallied forth, his bag of money in +his hand, and began distributing its contents to the needy that he met +in the highways. Ere many hours had passed the whole of his savings +was gone. The Hodja was very happy; for now he was the creditor in +Allah's books for one thousand piasters. + +He returned to his house and ate his evening meal of bread and olives, +and was content. + +The next day came. The thousand piasters had not yet arrived. He ate +his bread, he imagined he had olives, and was content. + +The third day came. The old Hodja had no bread and he had no olives. +He suffered the pangs of hunger. So when the end of the day had come, +and his pupils had departed to their homes, the Hodja, with a full +heart and an empty stomach, walked out of the town, and soon got +beyond the city walls. + +There, where no one could hear him, he lamented his sad fate, and the +great calamity that had befallen him in his old age. + +What sin had he committed? What great wrong had his ancestors done, +that the wrath of the Almighty had thus fallen on him, when his +earthly course was well-nigh run? + +"Ya! Allah! Allah!" he cried, and beat his breast. + +As if in answer to his cry, the howl of the dreaded Fakir Dervish came +over across the plain. In those days the Fakir Dervish was a terror in +the land. He knocked at the door, and it was opened. He asked, and +received food. If refused, life often paid the penalty. + +The Hodja's lamentations were now greater than ever; for should the +Dervish ask him for food and the Hodja have nothing to give, he would +certainly be killed. + +"Allah! Allah! Allah! Guide me now. Protect one of your faithful +followers," cried the frightened Hodja, and he looked around to see if +there was any one to rescue him from his perilous position. But not a +soul was to be seen, and the walls of the city were five miles +distant. Just then the howl of the Dervish again reached his ear, and +in terror he flew, he knew not whither. As luck would have it he came +upon a tree, up which, although stiff from age and weak from want, the +Hodja, with wonderful agility, scrambled and, trembling like a leaf, +awaited his fate. + +Nearer and nearer came the howling Dervish, till at last his long hair +could be seen floating in the air, as with rapid strides he preceded +the wind upon his endless journey. + +On and on he came, his wild yell sending the blood, from very fear, to +unknown parts of the poor Hodja's body and leaving his face as yellow +as a melon. + +To his utter dismay, the Hodja saw the Dervish approach the tree and +sit down under its shade. + +Sighing deeply, the Dervish said in a loud voice, "Why have I come +into this world? Why were my forefathers born? Why was anybody born? +Oh, Allah! Oh, Allah! What have you done! Misery! Misery! Nothing but +misery to mankind and everything living. Shall I not be avenged for +all the misery my father and my father's fathers have suffered? I +shall be avenged." + +Striking his chest a loud blow, as if to emphasize the decision he had +come to, the Dervish took a small bag that lay by his side, and slowly +proceeded to untie the leather strings that bound it. Bringing forth +from it a small image, he gazed at it a moment and then addressed it +in the following terms: + +"You, Job! you bore much; you have written a book in which your +history is recorded; you have earned the reputation of being the most +patient man that ever lived; yet I have read your history and found +that when real affliction oppressed you, you cursed God. You have made +men believe, too, that there is a reward in this life for all the +afflictions they suffer. You have misled mankind. For these sins no +one has ever punished you. Now I will punish you," and taking his +long, curved sword in his hand he cut off the head of the figure. + +The Dervish bent forward, took another image and, gazing upon it with +a contemptuous smile, thus addressed it: + +"David, David, singer of songs of peace in this world and in the world +to come, I have read your sayings in which you counsel men to lead a +righteous life for the sake of the reward which they are to receive. I +have learned that you have misled your fellow-mortals with your songs +of peace and joy. I have read your history, and I find that you have +committed many sins. For these sins and for misleading your fellowmen +you have never been punished. Now I will punish you," and taking his +sword in his hand he cut off David's head. + +Again the Dervish bent forward and brought forth an image which he +addressed as follows: + +"You, Solomon, are reputed to have been the wisest man that ever +lived. You had command over the host of the Genii and could control +the legion of the demons. They came at the bidding of your signet +ring, and they trembled at the mysterious names to which you gave +utterance. You understood every living thing. The speech of the beasts +of the field, of the birds of the air, of the insects of the earth, +and of the fishes of the sea, was known unto you. Yet when I read your +history I found that in spite of the vast knowledge that was +vouchsafed unto you, you committed many wrongs and did many foolish +things, which in the end brought misery into the world and destruction +unto your people; and for all these no one has ever punished you. Now +I will punish you," and taking his sword he cut off Solomon's head. + +Again the Dervish bent forward and brought forth from the bag another +figure, which he addressed thus: + +"Jesus, Jesus, prophet of God, you came into this world to atone, by +giving your blood, for the sins of mankind and to bring unto them a +religion of peace. You founded a church, whose history I have studied, +and I see that it set fathers against their children and brethren +against one another; that it brought strife into the world; that the +lives of men and women and children were sacrificed so that the rivers +ran red with blood unto the seas. Truly you were a great prophet, but +the misery you caused must be avenged. For it no one has yet punished +you. Now I will punish you," and he took his sword and cut off Jesus' +head. + +With a sorrowful face the Dervish bent forward and brought forth +another image from the bag. + +"Mohammed," he said, "I have slain Job, David, Solomon, and Jesus. +What shall I do with you? After the followers of Jesus had shed much +blood, their religion spread over the world, was acceptable unto man, +and the nations were at peace. Then you came into the world, and you +brought a new religion, and father rose against father, and brother +rose against brother; hatred was sown between your followers and the +followers of Jesus, and again the rivers ran red with blood unto the +seas; and you have not been punished. For this I will punish you. By +the beard of my forefathers, whose blood was made to flow in your +cause, you too must die," and with a blow the head of Mohammed fell to +the ground. + +Then the Dervish prostrated himself to the earth, and after a silent +prayer rose and brought forth from the bag the last figure. Reverently +he bowed to it, and then he addressed it as follows: + +"Oh, Allah! The Allah of Allahs. There is but one Allah, and thou art +He. I have slain Job, David, Solomon, Jesus, and Mohammed for the +folly that they have brought into the world. Thou, God, art all +powerful. All men are thy children, thou createst them and bringest +them into the world. The thoughts that they think are thy thoughts. If +all these men have brought all this evil into the world, it is thy +fault. Shall I punish them and allow thee to go unhurt? No. I must +punish thee also," and he raised his sword to strike. + +As the sword circled in the air the Hodja, secreted in the tree, +forgot the fear in which he stood of the Dervish. In the excitement of +the moment he cried out in a loud tone of voice: "Stop! Stop! He owes +me one thousand piasters." + +The Dervish reeled and fell senseless to the ground. The Hodja was +overcome at his own words and trembled with fear, convinced that his +last hour had arrived. The Dervish lay stretched upon his back on the +grass like one dead. At last the Hodja took courage. Breaking a twig +from off the tree, he threw it down upon the Dervish's face, but the +Dervish made no sign. The Hodja took more courage, removed one of his +heavy outer shoes and threw it on the outstretched figure of the +Dervish, but still the Dervish lay motionless. The Hodja carefully +climbed down the tree, gave the body of the Dervish a kick, and +climbed back again, and still the Dervish did not stir. At length the +Hodja descended from the tree and placed his ear to the Dervish's +heart. It did not beat. The Dervish was dead. + +"Ah, well," said the Hodja, "at least I shall not starve. I will take +his garments and sell them and buy me some bread." + +The Hodja commenced to remove the Dervish's garments. As he took off +his belt he found that it was heavy. He opened it, and saw that it +contained gold. He counted the gold and found that it was exactly one +thousand piasters. + +The Hodja turned his face toward Mecca and raising his eyes to heaven +said, "Oh God, you have kept your promise, but," he added, "not before +I saved your life." + + + + +BETTER IS THE FOLLY OF WOMAN THAN THE WISDOM OF MAN + + +There lived in Constantinople an old Hodja, a learned man, who had a +son. The boy followed in his father's footsteps, went every day to the +Mosque Aya Sofia, seated himself in a secluded spot, to the left of +the pillar bearing the impress of the Conqueror's hand, and engaged in +the study of the Koran. Daily he might be seen seated, swaying his +body to and fro, and reciting to himself the verses of the Holy Book. + +The dearest wish of a Mohammedan theological student is to be able to +recite the entire Koran by heart. Many years are spent in memorizing +the Holy Book, which must be recited with a prescribed cantillation, +and in acquiring a rhythmical movement of the body which accompanies +the chant. + +When Abdul, for that was the young man's name, had reached his +nineteenth year, he had, by the most assiduous study, finally +succeeded in mastering three-fourths of the Koran. At this achievement +his pride rose, his ambition was fired, and he determined to become a +great man. + +The day that he reached this decision he did not go to the Mosque, but +stopped at home, in his father's house, and sat staring at the fire +burning in the grate. Several times the father asked: + +"My son, what do you see in the fire?" + +And each time the son answered: + +"Nothing, father." + +He was very young; he could not see. + +Finally, the young man picked up courage and gave expression to his +thoughts. + +"Father," he said, "I wish to become a great man." + +"That is very easy," said the father. + +"And to be a great man," continued the son, "I must first go to +Mecca." For no Mohammedan priest or theologian, or even layman, has +fulfilled all of the cardinal precepts of his faith unless he has made +the pilgrimage to the Holy City. + +To his son's last observation the father blandly replied: "It is very +easy to go to Mecca." + +"How, easy?" asked the son. "On the contrary, it is very difficult; +for the journey is costly, and I have no money." + +"Listen, my son," said the father. "You must become a scribe, the +writer of the thoughts of your brethren, and your fortune is made." + +"But I have not even the implements necessary for a scribe," said the +son. + +"All that can be easily arranged," said the father; "your grandfather +had an ink-horn; I will give it you; I will buy you some +writing-paper, and we will get you a box to sit in; all that you need +to do is to sit still, look wise and your fortune is made." + +And indeed the advice was good. For letter-writing is an art which +only the few possess. The ability to write by no means carries with it +the ability to compose. Epistolary genius is rare. + +Abdul was much rejoiced at the counsel that had been given him, and +lost no time in carrying out the plan. He took his grandfather's +ink-horn, the paper his father bought, got himself a box and began his +career as a scribe. + +Abdul was a child, he knew nothing, but deeming himself wise he sought +to surpass the counsel of his father. + +"To look wise," he said, "is not sufficient; I must have some other +attraction." + +And after much thought he hit upon the following idea. Over his box he +painted a legend: "The wisdom of man is greater than the wisdom of +woman." People thought the sign very clever, customers came, the young +Hodja took in many piasters and he was correspondingly happy. + +This sign one day attracted the eyes and mind of a Hanoum (Turkish +lady). Seeing that Abdul was a manly youth, she went to him and said: + +"Hodja, I have a difficult letter to write. I have heard that thou art +very wise, so I have come to thee. To write the letter thou wilt need +all thy wit. Moreover, the letter is a long one, and I cannot stand +here while it is being written. Come to my Konak (house) at three this +afternoon, and we will write the letter." + +The Hodja was overcome with admiration for his fair client, and +surprised at the invitation. He was enchanted, his heart beat wildly, +and so great was his agitation that his reply of acquiescence was +scarcely audible. + +The invitation had more than the charm of novelty to make it +attractive. He had never talked with a woman outside of his own family +circle. To be admitted to a lady's house was in itself an adventure. + +Long before the appointed time, the young Hodja--impetuous +youth--gathered together his reeds, ink, and sand. With feverish step +he wended his way to the house. Lattices covered the windows, a high +wall surrounded the garden, and a ponderous gate barred the entrance. +Thrice he raised the massive knocker. + +"Who is there?" called a voice from within. + +"The scribe," was the reply. + +"It is well," said the porter; the gate was unbarred, and the Hodja +permitted to enter. Directly he was ushered into the apartment of his +fair client. + +The lady welcomed him cordially. + +"Ah! Hodja Effendi, I am glad to see you; pray sit down." + +The Hodja nervously pulled out his writing-implements. + +"Do not be in such a hurry," said the lady. "Refresh yourself; take a +cup of coffee, smoke a cigarette, and we will write the letter +afterwards." + +So he lit a cigarette, drank a cup of coffee, and they fell to +talking. Time flew; the minutes seemed like seconds, and the hours +were as minutes. While they were thus enjoying themselves there +suddenly came a heavy knock at the gate. + +"It is my husband, the Pasha," cried the lady. "What shall I do? If he +finds you here, he will kill you! I am so frightened." + +The Hodja was frightened too. Again there came a knock at the gate. + +"I have it," and taking Abdul by the arm, she said, "you must get into +the box," indicating a large chest in the room. "Quick, quick, if you +prize your life utter not a word, and Inshallah I will save you." + +Abdul now, too late, saw his folly. It was his want of experience; but +driven by the sense of danger, he entered the chest; the lady locked +it and took the key. + +A moment afterwards the Pasha came in. + +"I am very tired," he said; "bring me coffee and a chibook." + +"Good evening, Pasha Effendi," said the lady. "Sit down. I have +something to tell you." + +"Bah!" said the Pasha; "I want none of your woman's talk; 'the hair of +woman is long, and her wits are short,' says the proverb. Bring me my +pipe." + +"But, Pasha Effendi," said the lady, "I have had an adventure to-day." + +"Bah!" said the Pasha; "what adventure can a woman have--forgot to +paint your eyebrows or color your nails, I suppose." + +"No, Pasha Effendi. Be patient, and I will tell you. I went out to-day +to write a letter." + +"A letter?" said the Pasha; "to whom would you write a letter?" + +"Be patient," she said, "and I will tell you my story. So I came to +the box of a young scribe with beautiful eyes." + +"A young man with beautiful eyes," shouted the Pasha. "Where is he? +I'll kill him!" and he drew his sword. + +The Hodja in the chest heard every word and trembled in every limb. + +"Be patient, Pasha Effendi; I said I had an adventure, and you did not +believe me. I told the young man that the letter was long, and I +could not stand in the street to write it. So I asked him to come and +see me this afternoon." + +"Here? to this house?" thundered the Pasha. + +"Yes, Pasha Effendi," said the lady. "So the Hodja came here, and I +gave him coffee and a cigarette, and we talked, and the minutes seemed +like seconds, and the hours were as minutes. All at once came your +knock at the gate, and I said to the Hodja, 'That is the Pasha; and if +he finds you here, he will kill you.'" + +"And I will kill him," screamed the Pasha, "where is he?" + +"Be patient, Pasha Effendi," said the lady, "and I will tell you. When +you knocked a second time, I suddenly thought of the chest, and I put +the Hodja in." + +"Let me at him!" screamed the Pasha. "I'll cut off his head!" + +"O Pasha," she said, "what a hurry you are in to slay this comely +youth. He is your prey; he cannot escape you. The youth is not only in +the box, but it is locked, and the key is in my pocket. Here it is." + +The lady walked over to the Pasha, stretched out her hand and gave him +the key. + +As he took it, she said: + +"Philopena!" + +"Bah!" said the Pasha, in disgust. He threw the key on the floor and +left the harem, slamming the door behind him. + +After he had gone, the lady took up the key, unlocked the door, and +let out the trembling Hodja. + +"Go now, Hodja, to your box," she said. "Take down your sign and write +instead: 'The wit of woman is twofold the wit of man,' for I am a +woman, and in one day I have fooled two men." + + + + +THE HANOUM AND THE UNJUST CADI + + +It was, and still is, in some parts of Constantinople, the custom of +the refuse-gatherer to go about the streets with a basket on his back, +and a wooden shovel in his hand, calling out 'refuse removed.' + +A certain Chepdji, plying his trade, had, in the course of five years +of assiduous labor, amassed, to him, the no unimportant sum of five +hundred piasters. He was afraid to keep this money by him; so hearing +the Cadi of Stamboul highly and reverently spoken of, he decided to +entrust his hard-earned savings to the Cadi's keeping. + +Going to the Cadi, he said: "Oh learned and righteous man, for five +long years have I labored, carrying the dregs and dross of rich and +poor alike, and I have saved a sum of five hundred piasters. With the +help of Allah, in another two years I shall have saved a further sum +of at least one hundred piasters, when, Inshallah, I shall return to +my country and clasp my wife and children again. In the meantime you +will be granting a boon to your slave, if you will consent to keep +this money for me until the time for departure has come." + +The Cadi replied: "Thou hast done well, my son; the money will be kept +and given to thee when required." + +The poor Chepdji, well satisfied, departed. But after a very short +time he learned that several of his friends were about to return to +their Memleket (province), and he decided to join them, thinking that +his five hundred piasters were ample for the time being, 'Besides,' +said he, 'who knows what may or may not happen in the next two years?' +So he decided to depart with his friends at once. + +He went to the Cadi, explained that he had changed his mind, that he +was going to leave for his country immediately, and asked for his +money. The Cadi called him a dog and ordered him to be whipped out of +the place by his servants. Alas! what could the poor Chepdji do! He +wept in impotent despair, as he counted the number of years he must +yet work before beholding his loved ones. + +One day, while moving the dirt from the Konak of a wealthy Pasha, his +soul uttered a sigh which reached the ears of the Hanoum, and from the +window she asked him why he sighed so deeply. He replied that he +sighed for something that could in no way interest her. The Hanoum's +sympathy was excited, and after much persuasion, he finally, with +tears in his eyes, related to her his great misfortune. The Hanoum +thought for a few minutes and then told him to go the following day to +the Cadi at a certain hour and again ask for the money as if nothing +had happened. + +The Hanoum in the meantime gathered together a quantity of jewelry, to +the value of several hundred pounds, and instructed her favorite and +confidential slave to come with her to the Cadi and remain outside +whilst she went in, directing her that when she saw the Chepdji come +out and learned that he had gotten his money, to come in the Cadi's +room hurriedly and say to her, "your husband has arrived from Egypt, +and is waiting for you at the Konak." + +The Hanoum then went to the Cadi, carrying in her hand a bag +containing the jewelry. With a profound salaam she said: + +"Oh Cadi, my husband, who is in Egypt and who has been there for +several years, has at last asked me to come and join him there; these +jewels are of great value, and I hesitate to take them with me on so +long and dangerous a journey. If you would kindly consent to keep them +for me until my return, or if I never return to keep them as a token +of my esteem, I will think of you with lifelong gratitude." + +The Hanoum then began displaying the rich jewelry. Just then the +Chepdji entered, and bending low, said: + +"Oh master, your slave has come for his savings in order to proceed to +his country." + +"Ah, welcome," said the Cadi, "so you are going already!" and +immediately ordered the treasurer to pay the five hundred piasters to +the Chepdji. + +"You see," said the Cadi to the Hanoum, "what confidence the people +have in me. This money I have held for some time without receipt or +acknowledgment; but directly it is asked for it is paid." + +No sooner had the Chepdji gone out of the door, than the Hanoum's +slave came rushing in, crying: "Hanoum Effendi! Hanoum Effendi! Your +husband has arrived from Egypt, and is anxiously awaiting you at the +Konak." + +The Hanoum, in well-feigned excitement, gathered up her jewelry and, +wishing the Cadi a thousand years of happiness, departed. + +The Cadi was thunderstruck, and caressing his beard with grave +affection thoughtfully said: "Allah! Allah! For forty years have I +been judge, but never was a cause pleaded in this fashion before." + + + + +WHAT HAPPENED TO HADJI, A MERCHANT OF THE BEZESTAN + + +Hadji was a married man, but even Turkish married men are not +invulnerable to the charms of other women. It happened one day, when +possibly the engrossing power of his lawful wife's influence was +feeble upon him, that a charming Hanoum came to his shop to purchase +some spices. After the departure of his fair visitor Hadji, do what he +might, could not drive from his mind's eye, either her image, or her +attractive power. He was further greatly puzzled by a tiny black bag +containing twelve grains of wheat, which the Hanoum had evidently +forgotten. + +Till a late hour that night did Hadji remain in his shop, in the hope +that either the Hanoum or one of her servants would come for the bag, +and thus give him the means of seeing her again or at least of +learning where she lived. But Hadji was doomed to disappointment, and, +much preoccupied, he returned to his home. There he sat, unresponsive +to his wife's conversation, thinking, and no doubt making mental +comparisons between her and his visitor. + +Hadji remained downcast day after day, and at last, giving way to his +wife's entreaties to share his troubles, he frankly told her what had +happened, and that ever since that day his soul was in his visitor's +bondage. + +"Oh husband," replied his wife, "and do you not understand what that +black bag containing the twelve grains of wheat means?" + +"Alas! no," replied Hadji. + +"Why, my husband, it is plain, plain as if it had been told. She lives +in the Wheat Market, at house No. 12, with a black door." + +Much excited, Hadji rushed off and found that there was a No. 12 in +the Wheat Market, with a black door, so he promptly knocked. The door +opened, and who should he behold but the lady in question? She, +however, instead of speaking to him, threw a basin of water out into +the street and then shut the door. Hadji, with mingled feelings of +gratitude to his wife for having so accurately directed him, but none +the less surprised at his reception, lingered about the doorway for a +time and then returned home. He greeted his wife more pleasantly than +he had for many days, and told her of his strange reception. + +"Why," said his wife, "don't you understand what the basin of water +thrown out of the door means?" + +"Alas! no," said Hadji. + +"Veyh! Veyh! (an exclamation of pity) it means that at the back of the +house there is a running stream, and that you must go to her that +way." + +Off rushed Hadji and found that his wife was right; there was a +running stream at the back of the house, so he knocked at the back +door. The Hanoum, however, instead of opening it, came to the window, +showed a mirror, reversed it and then disappeared. Hadji lingered at +the back of the house for a long time, but seeing no further sign of +life, he returned to his home much dejected. On entering the house, +his wife greeted him with: "Well, was it not as I told you?" + +"Yes," said Hadji. "You are truly a wonderful woman, Mashallah! But I +do not know why she came to the window and showed me a mirror both in +front and back, instead of opening the door." + +"Oh," said his wife, "that is very simple; she means that you must go +when the face of the moon has reversed itself, about ten o'clock." The +hour arrived, Hadji hurried off, and so did his wife; the one to see +his love, and the other to inform the police. + +Whilst Hadji and his charmer were talking in the garden the police +seized them and carried them both off to prison, and Hadji's wife, +having accomplished her mission, returned home. + +The next morning she baked a quantity of lokum cakes, and taking them +to the prison, begged entrance of the guards and permission to +distribute these cakes to the prisoners, for the repose of the souls +of her dead. This being a request which could not be denied, she was +allowed to enter. Finding the cell in which the lady who had +infatuated her husband was confined, she offered to save her the +disgrace of the exposure, provided she would consent never again to +look upon Hadji, the merchant, with envious or loving eyes. The +conditions were gratefully accepted, and Hadji's wife changed places +with the prisoner. + +When they were brought before the judge, Hadji was thunderstruck to +see his wife, but being a wise man he held his peace, and left her to +do the talking, which she did most vigorously, vehemently protesting +against the insult inflicted on both her and her husband in bringing +them to prison, because they chose to converse in a garden, being +lawfully wedded people; in witness whereof, she called upon the +Bekdji (watchman) and the Imam (priest) of the district and several of +her neighbors. + +Poor Hadji was dumfounded, and, accompanied by his better half, left +the prison, where he had expected to stay at least a year or two, +saying: "Truly thou art a wonderful woman, Mashallah." + + + + +HOW THE JUNKMAN TRAVELLED TO FIND TREASURE IN HIS OWN YARD + + +In one of the towers overlooking the Sea of Marmora and skirting the +ancient city of Stamboul, there lived an old junkman, who earned a +precarious livelihood in gathering cinders and useless pieces of iron, +and selling them to smiths. + +Often did he moralize on the sad Kismet that had reduced him to the +task of daily laboring for his bread to make a shoe, perhaps for an +ass. Surely he, a true Mussulman, might at least be permitted to ride +the ass. His eternal longing often found satisfaction in passing his +hours of sleep in dreams of wealth and luxury. But with the dawning of +the day came reality and increased longing. + +Often did he call on the spirit of sleep to reverse matters, but in +vain; with the rising of the sun began the gathering of the cinders +and iron. + +One night he dreamt that he begged this nocturnal visitor to change +his night to day, and the spirit said to him: "Go to Egypt, and it +shall be so." + +This encouraging phrase haunted him by day and inspired him by night. +So persecuted was he with the thought that when his wife said to him, +from the door, "Have you brought home any bread?" he would reply, "No, +I have not gone; I will go to-morrow;" thinking she had asked him, +"Have you gone to Egypt?" + +At last, when friends and neighbors began to pity poor Ahmet, for that +was his name, as a man on whom the hand of Allah was heavily laid, +removing his intelligence, he one morning left his house, saying: "I +go! I go! to the land of wealth!" And he left his wife wringing her +hands in despair, while the neighbors tried to comfort her. Poor Ahmet +went straight on board a boat which he had been told was bound for +Iskender (Alexandria), and assured the captain that he was summoned +thither, and that he was bound to take him. Half-witted and mad +persons being more holy than others, Ahmet was conveyed to Iskender. + +Arriving in Iskender, Hadji Ahmet roamed far and wide, proceeding as +far as Cairo, in search of the luxuries he had enjoyed at +Constantinople when in the land of Morpheus, which he had been +promised to enjoy in the sunshine, if he came to Egypt. Alas! for +Hadji Ahmet; the only bread he had to eat was that which was given him +by sympathizing humanity. Time sped on, sympathy was growing tired of +expending itself on Hadji Ahmet, and his crusts of bread were few and +far between. + +Wearied of life and suffering, he decided to ask Allah to let him die, +and wandering out to the Pyramids he solicited the stones to have pity +and fall on him. It happened that a Turk heard this prayer, and said +to him: + +"Why so miserable, father? Has your soul been so strangled that you +prefer its being dashed out of your body, to its remaining the +prescribed time in bondage?" + +"Yes, my son," said Hadji Ahmet. "Far away in Stamboul, with the help +of God, I managed as a junkman to feed my wife and myself; but here am +I, in Egypt, a stranger, alone and starving, with possibly my wife +already dead of starvation, and all this through a dream." + +"Alas! Alas! my father! that you at your age should be tempted to +wander so far from home and friends, because of a dream. Why, were I +to obey my dreams, I would at this present moment be in Stamboul, +digging for a treasure that lies buried under a tree. I can even now, +although I have never been there, describe where it is. In my mind's +eye I see a wall, a great wall, that must have been built many years +ago, and supporting or seeming to support this wall are towers with +many corners, towers that are round, towers that are square, and +others that have smaller towers within them. In one of these towers, a +square one, there live an old man and woman, and close by the tower is +a large tree, and every night when I dream of the place, the old man +tells me to dig and disclose the treasure. But, father, I am not such +a fool as to go to Stamboul and seek to verify this. It is an +oft-repeated dream and nothing more. See what you have been reduced to +by coming so far." + +"Yes," said Hadji Ahmet, "it is a dream and nothing more, but you have +interpreted it. Allah be praised, you have encouraged me; I will +return to my home." + +And Hadji Ahmet and the young stranger parted, the one grateful that +it had pleased Allah to give him the power to revive and encourage a +drooping spirit, and the other grateful to Allah that when he had +despaired of life a stranger should come and give him the +interpretation of his dream. He certainly had wandered far and long to +learn that the treasure was in his own garden. + +Hadji Ahmet in due course, much to the astonishment of both wife and +neighbors, again appeared upon the scene not a much changed man. In +fact, he was the cinder and iron gatherer of old. + +To all questions as to where he was and what he had been doing, he +would answer: "A dream sent me away, and a dream brought me back." + +And the neighbors would say: "Truly he must be blessed." + +One night Hadji Ahmet went to the tree, provided with spade and pick, +that he had secured from an obliging neighbor. After digging a short +time a heavy case was brought to view, in which he found gold, silver, +and precious jewels of great value. Hadji Ahmet replaced the case and +earth and returned to bed, much lamenting that it had pleased God to +furnish women, more especially his wife, with a long tongue, long +hair, and very short wits. Alas! he thought, if I tell my wife, I may +be hung as a robber, for it is against the laws of nature for a woman +to keep a secret. Yet, becoming more generous when thinking of the +years of toil and hardship she had shared with him, he decided to try +and see if, by chance, his wife was not an exception to other women. +Who knows, she might keep the secret. To test her, at no risk to +himself and the treasure, he conceived a plan. + +Crawling from his bed, he sallied forth and bought, found, or stole an +egg. This egg on the following morning he showed to his wife, and said +to her: + +"Alas! I fear I am not as other men, for evidently in the night I laid +this egg; and, wife mine, if the neighbors hear of this, your husband, +the long-suffering Hadji Ahmet, will be bastinadoed, bowstrung, and +burned to death. Ah, truly, my soul is strangled." + +And without another word Hadji Ahmet, with a sack on his shoulder, +went forth to gather the cast-off shoes of horse, ox, or ass, +wondering if his wife would prove an exception in this, as she had in +many other ways, to other women. + +In the evening he returned, heavily laden with his finds, and as he +neared home he heard rumors, ominous rumors, that a certain Hadji +Ahmet, who had been considered a holy man, had done something that was +unknown in the history of man, even in the history of hens--that he +had laid a dozen eggs. + +Needless to add that Hadji Ahmet did not tell his wife of the +treasure, but daily went forth with his sack to gather iron and +cinders, and invariably found, when separating his finds of the day, +in company with his wife, at first one, and then more gold and silver +pieces, and now and then a precious stone. + + + + +HOW CHAPKIN HALID BECAME CHIEF DETECTIVE + + +In Balata there lived, some years ago, two scapegraces, called Chapkin +Halid and Pitch Osman. These two young rascals lived by their wits and +at the expense of their neighbors. But they often had to lament the +ever-increasing difficulties they encountered in procuring the few +piasters they needed daily for bread and the tavern. They had tried +several schemes in their own neighborhood, with exceptionally poor +results, and were almost disheartened when Chapkin Halid conceived an +idea that seemed to offer every chance of success. He explained to his +chum Osman that Balata was "played out," at least for a time, and that +they must go elsewhere to satisfy their needs. Halid's plan was to go +to Stamboul, and feign death in the principal street, while Osman was +to collect the funeral expenses of his friend Halid. + +Arriving in Stamboul, Halid stretched himself on his back on the +pavement and covered his face with an old sack, while Osman sat +himself down beside the supposed corpse, and every now and then +bewailed the hard fate of the stranger who had met with death on the +first day of his arrival. The corpse prompted Osman whenever the coast +was clear, and the touching tale told by Osman soon brought +contributions for the burial of the stranger. Osman had collected +about thirty piasters, and Halid was seriously thinking of a +resurrection, but was prevented by the passing of the Grand Vizier, +who, upon inquiring why the man lay on the ground in that fashion, was +told that he was a stranger who had died in the street. The Grand +Vizier thereupon gave instructions to an Imam, who happened to be at +hand, to bury the stranger and come for the money to the Sublime +Porte. + +Halid was reverently carried off to the Mosque, and Osman thought that +it was time to leave the corpse to take care of itself. The Imam laid +Halid on the marble floor and prepared to wash him prior to interment. +He had taken off his turban and long cloak and got ready the water, +when he remembered that he had no soap, and immediately went out to +purchase some. No sooner had the Imam disappeared than Halid jumped +up, and, donning the Imam's turban and long cloak, repaired to the +Sublime Porte. Here he asked admittance to the Grand Vizier, but this +request was not granted until he told the nature of his business. +Halid said he was the Imam who, in compliance with the verbal +instructions received from his Highness, had buried a stranger and +that he had come for payment. The Grand Vizier sent five gold pieces +(twenty piasters each) to the supposed Imam, and Halid made off as +fast as possible. + +No sooner had Halid departed than the cloakless Imam arrived in +breathless haste, and explained that he was the Imam who had received +instructions from the Grand Vizier to bury a stranger, but that the +supposed corpse had disappeared, and so had his cloak and turban. +Witnesses proved this man to be the bona-fide Imam of the quarter, and +the Grand Vizier gave orders to his Chief Detective to capture, within +three days, on pain of death, and bring to the Sublime Porte, this +fearless evil-doer. + +The Chief Detective was soon on the track of Halid; but the latter was +on the keen lookout. With the aid of the money he had received from +the Grand Vizier to defray his burial expenses he successfully evaded +the clutches of the Chief Detective, who was greatly put about at +being thus frustrated. On the second day he again got scent of Halid +and determined to follow him till an opportunity offered for his +capture. Halid knew that he was followed and divined the intentions of +his pursuer. As he was passing a pharmacy he noticed there several +young men, so he entered and explained in Jewish-Spanish (one of his +accomplishments) to the Jew druggist, as he handed him one of the gold +pieces he had received from the Grand Vizier, that his uncle, who +would come in presently, was not right in his mind; but that if the +druggist could manage to douche his head and back with cold water, he +would be all right for a week or two. No sooner did the Chief +Detective enter the shop than, at a word from the apothecary, the +young men seized him and, by means of a large squirt, they did their +utmost to effectively give him the salutary and cooling douche. The +more the detective protested, the more the apothecary consolingly +explained that the operation would soon be over and that he would feel +much better, and told of the numerous similar cases he had cured in a +like manner. The detective saw that it was useless to struggle, so he +abandoned himself to the treatment; and in the meantime Halid made +off. The Chief Detective was so disheartened that he went to the Grand +Vizier and asked him to behead him, as death was preferable to the +annoyance he had received and might still receive at the hands of +Chapkin Halid. The Grand Vizier was both furious and amused, so he +spared the Chief Detective and gave orders that guards be placed at +the twenty-four gates of the city, and that Halid be seized at the +first opportunity. A reward was further promised to the person who +would bring him to the Sublime Porte. + +Halid was finally caught one night as he was going out of the +Top-Kapou (Cannon Gate), and the guards, rejoicing in their capture, +after considerable consultation decided to bind Halid to a large tree +close to the Guard house, and thus both avoid the loss of sleep and +the anxiety incident to watching over so desperate a character. This +was done, and Halid now thought that his case was hopeless. Towards +dawn, Halid perceived a man with a lantern walking toward the Armenian +Church, and rightly concluded that it was the beadle going to make +ready for the early morning service. So he called out in a loud voice: + +"Beadle! Brother! Beadle! Brother! come here quickly." + +Now it happened that the beadle was a poor hunchback, and no sooner +did Halid perceive this than he said: + +"Quick! Quick! Beadle, look at my back and see if it has gone!" + +"See if what has gone?" asked the beadle, carefully looking behind the +tree. + +"Why, my hump, of course," answered Halid. + +The beadle made a close inspection and declared that he could see no +hump. + +"A thousand thanks!" fervently exclaimed Halid, "then please undo the +rope." + +The beadle set about to liberate Halid, and at the same time earnestly +begged to be told how he had got rid of the hump, so that he also +might free himself of his deformity. Halid agreed to tell him the +cure, provided the beadle had not yet broken fast, and also that he +was prepared to pay a certain small sum of money for the secret. The +beadle satisfied Halid on both of these points, and the latter +immediately set about binding the hunchback to the tree, and further +told him, on pain of breaking the spell, to repeat sixty-one times the +words: 'Esserti! Pesserti! Sersepeti!' if he did this, the hump would +of a certainty disappear. Halid left the poor beadle religiously and +earnestly repeating the words. + +The guards were furious when they found, bound to the tree, a madman, +as they thought, repeating incoherent words, instead of Halid. They +began to unbind the captive, but the only answer they could get to +their host of questions was 'Esserti, Pesserti, Sersepeti.' As the +knots were loosened, the louder did the beadle in despair call out the +charmed words in the hopes of arresting them. No sooner was the beadle +freed than he asked God to bring down calamity on the destroyers of +the charm that was to remove his hunch. On hearing the beadle's tale, +the guards understood how their prisoner had secured his liberty, and +sent word to the Chief Detective. This gentleman told the Grand Vizier +of the unheard-of cunning of the escaped prisoner. The Grand Vizier +was amused and also very anxious to see this Chapkin Halid, so he sent +criers all over the city, giving full pardon to Halid on condition +that he would come to the Sublime Porte and confess in person to the +Grand Vizier. Halid obeyed the summons, and came to kiss the hem of +the Grand Vizier's garment, who was so favorably impressed by him that +he then and there appointed him to be his Chief Detective. + + + + +HOW COBBLER AHMET BECAME THE CHIEF ASTROLOGER + + +Every day cobbler Ahmet, year in and year out, measured the breadth of +his tiny cabin with his arms as he stitched old shoes. To do this was +his Kismet, his decreed fate, and he was content--and why not? his +business brought him quite sufficient to provide the necessaries of +life for both himself and his wife. And had it not been for a +coincidence that occurred, in all probability he would have mended old +boots and shoes to the end of his days. + +One day cobbler Ahmet's wife went to the Hamam (bath), and while there +she was much annoyed at being obliged to give up her compartment, +owing to the arrival of the Harem and retinue of the Chief Astrologer +to the Sultan. Much hurt, she returned home and vented her pique upon +her innocent husband. + +"Why are you not the Chief Astrologer to the Sultan?" she said. "I +will never call or think of you as my husband until you have been +appointed Chief Astrologer to his Majesty." + +Ahmet thought that this was another phase in the eccentricity of woman +which in all probability would disappear before morning, so he took +small notice of what his wife said. But Ahmet was wrong. His wife +persisted so much in his giving up his present means of earning a +livelihood and becoming an astrologer, that finally, for the sake of +peace, he complied with her desire. He sold his tools and collection +of sundry old boots and shoes, and, with the proceeds purchased an +inkwell and reeds. But this, alas! did not constitute him an +astrologer, and he explained to his wife that this mad idea of hers +would bring him to an unhappy end. She, however, could not be moved, +and insisted on his going to the highway, there to wisely practise +the art, and thus ultimately become the Chief Astrologer. + +In obedience to his wife's instructions, Ahmet sat down on the +highroad, and his oppressed spirit sought comfort in looking at the +heavens and sighing deeply. While in this condition a Hanoum in great +excitement came and asked him if he communicated with the stars. Poor +Ahmet sighed, saying that he was compelled to converse with them. + +"Then please tell me where my diamond ring is, and I will both bless +and handsomely reward you." + +The Hanoum, with this, immediately squatted on the ground, and began +to tell Ahmet that she had gone to the bath that morning and that she +was positive that she then had the ring, but every corner of the Hamam +had been searched, and the ring was not to be found. + +"Oh! astrologer, for the love of Allah, exert your eye to see the +unseen." + +"Hanoum Effendi," replied Ahmet, the instant her excited flow of +language had ceased, "I perceive a rent," referring to a tear he had +noticed in her shalvars or baggy trousers. Up jumped the Hanoum, +exclaiming: + +"A thousand holy thanks! You are right! Now I remember! I put the ring +in a crevice of the cold water fountain." And in her gratitude she +handed Ahmet several gold pieces. + +In the evening he returned to his home, and giving the gold to his +wife, said: "Take this money, wife; may it satisfy you, and in return +all I ask is that you allow me to go back to the trade of my father, +and not expose me to the danger and suffering of trudging the road +shoeless." + +But her purpose was unmoved. Until he became the Chief Astrologer she +would neither call him nor think of him as her husband. + +In the meantime, owing to the discovery of the ring, the fame of Ahmet +the cobbler spread far and wide. The tongue of the Hanoum never +ceased to sound his praise. + +It happened that the wife of a certain Pasha had appropriated a +valuable diamond necklace, and as a last resource, the Pasha +determined, seeing that all the astrologers, Hodjas, and diviners had +failed to discover the article, to consult Ahmet the cobbler, whose +praises were in every mouth. + +The Pasha went to Ahmet, and, in fear and trembling, the wife who had +appropriated the necklace sent her confidential slave to overhear what +the astrologer would say. The Pasha told Ahmet all he knew about the +necklace, but this gave no clue, and in despair he asked how many +diamonds the necklace contained. On being told that there were +twenty-four, Ahmet, to put off the evil hour, said it would take an +hour to discover each diamond, consequently would the Pasha come on +the morrow at the same hour when, Inshallah, he would perhaps be able +to give him some news. + +The Pasha departed, and no sooner was he out of earshot, than the +troubled Ahmet exclaimed in a loud voice: + +"Oh woman! Oh woman! what evil influence impelled you to go the wrong +path, and drag others with you! When the twenty-four hours are up, you +will perhaps repent! Alas! Too late. Your husband gone from you +forever! Without a hope even of being united in paradise." + +Ahmet was referring to himself and his wife, for he fully expected to +be cast into prison on the following day as an impostor. But the slave +who had been listening gave another interpretation to his words, and +hurrying off, told her mistress that the astrologer knew all about the +theft. The good man had even bewailed the separation that would +inevitably take place. The Pasha's wife was distracted, and hurried +off to plead her cause in person with the astrologer. On approaching +Ahmet, the first words she said, in her excitement, were: + +"Oh learned Hodja, you are a great and good man. Have compassion on +my weakness and do not expose me to the wrath of my husband! I will do +such penance as you may order, and bless you five times daily as long +as I live." + +"How can I save you?" innocently asked Ahmet. "What is decreed is +decreed!" + +And then, though silent, looked volumes, for he instinctively knew +that words unuttered were arrows still in the quiver. + +"If you won't pity me," continued the Hanoum, in despair, "I will go +and confess to my Pasha, and perhaps he will forgive me." + +To this appeal Ahmet said he must ask the stars for their views on the +subject. The Hanoum inquired if the answer would come before the +twenty-four hours were up. Ahmet's reply to this was a long and +concentrated gaze at the heavens. + +"Oh Hodja Effendi, I must go now, or the Pasha will miss me. Shall I +give you the necklace to restore to the Pasha without explanation, +when he comes to-morrow for the answer?" + +Ahmet now realized what all the trouble was about, and in +consideration of a fee, he promised not to reveal her theft on the +condition that she would at once return home and place the necklace +between the mattresses of her Pasha's bed. This the grateful woman +agreed to do, and departed invoking blessings on Ahmet, who in return +promised to exercise his influence in her behalf for astral +intervention. + +When the Pasha came to the astrologer at the appointed time, he +explained to him, that if he wanted both the necklace and the thief or +thieves, it would take a long time, as it was impossible to hurry the +stars; but if he would be content with the necklace alone, the +horoscope indicated that the stars would oblige him at once. The Pasha +said that he would be quite satisfied if he could get his diamonds +again, and Ahmet at once told him where to find them. The Pasha +returned to his home not a little sceptical, and immediately searched +for the necklace where Ahmet had told him it was to be found. His joy +and astonishment on discovering the long-lost article knew no bounds, +and the fame of Ahmet the cobbler was the theme of every tongue. + +Having received handsome payment from both the Pasha and the Hanoum, +Ahmet earnestly begged of his wife to desist and not bring down sorrow +and calamity upon his head. But his pleadings were in vain. Satan had +closed his wife's ear to reason with envy. Resigned to his fate, all +he could do was to consult the stars, and after mature thought give +their communication, or assert that the stars had, for some reason +best known to the applicant, refused to commune on the subject. + +It happened that forty cases of gold were stolen from the Imperial +Treasury, and every astrologer having failed to get even a clue as to +where the money was or how it had disappeared, Ahmet was approached. +Poor man, his case now looked hopeless! Even the Chief Astrologer was +in disgrace. What might be his punishment he did not know--most +probably death. Ahmet had no idea of the numerical importance of +forty; but concluding that it must be large he asked for a delay of +forty days to discover the forty cases of gold. Ahmet gathered up the +implements of his occult art, and before returning to his home, went +to a shop and asked for forty beans--neither one more nor one less. +When he got home and laid them down before him he appreciated the +number of cases of gold that had been stolen, and also the number of +days he had to live. He knew it would be useless to explain to his +wife the seriousness of the case, so that evening he took from his +pocket the forty beans and mournfully said: + +"Forty cases of gold,--forty thieves,--forty days; and here is one of +them," handing a bean to his wife. "The rest remain in their place +until the time comes to give them up." + +While Ahmet was saying this to his wife one of the thieves was +listening at the window. The thief was sure he had been discovered +when he heard Ahmet say, "And here is one of them," and hurried off to +tell his companions. + +The thieves were greatly distressed, but decided to wait till the next +evening and see what would happen then, and another of the number was +sent to listen and see if the report would be verified. The listener +had not long been stationed at his post when he heard Ahmet say to his +wife: "And here is another of them," meaning another of the forty days +of his life. But the thief understood the words otherwise, and hurried +off to tell his chief that the astrologer knew all about it and knew +that he had been there. The thieves consequently decided to send a +delegation to Ahmet, confessing their guilt and offering to return the +forty cases of gold intact. Ahmet received them, and on hearing their +confession, accompanied with their condition to return the gold, +boldly told them that he did not require their aid; that it was in his +power to take possession of the forty cases of gold whenever he +wished, but that he had no special desire to see them all executed, +and he would plead their cause if they would go and put the gold in a +place he indicated. This was agreed to, and Ahmet continued to give +his wife a bean daily--but now with another purpose; he no longer +feared the loss of his head, but discounted by degrees the great +reward he hoped to receive. At last the final bean was given to his +wife, and Ahmet was summoned to the Palace. He went, and explained to +his Majesty that the stars refused both to reveal the thieves and the +gold, but whichever of the two his Majesty wished would be immediately +granted. The Treasury being low, it was decided that, provided the +cases were returned with the gold intact, his Majesty would be +satisfied. Ahmet conducted them to the place where the gold was +buried, and amidst great rejoicing it was taken back to the Palace. +The Sultan was so pleased with Ahmet, that he appointed him to the +office of Chief Astrologer, and his wife attained her desire. + +The Sultan was one day walking in his Palace grounds accompanied by +his Chief Astrologer; wishing to test his powers he caught a +grasshopper, and holding his closed hand out to the astrologer asked +him what it contained. Ahmet, in a pained and reproachful tone, +answered the Sultan by a much-quoted proverb: "Alas! Your Majesty! the +grasshopper never knows where its third leap will land it," +figuratively alluding to himself and the dangerous hazard of guessing +what was in the clenched hand of his Majesty. The Sultan was so struck +by the reply that Ahmet was never again troubled to demonstrate his +powers. + + + + +THE WISE SON OF ALI PASHA + + +A servant of his Majesty Sultan Ahmet, who had been employed for +twenty-five years in the Palace, begged leave of the Sultan to allow +him to retire to his native home, and at the same time solicited a +pension to enable him to live. The Sultan asked him if he had not +saved any money. The man replied that owing to his having to support a +large family, he had been unable to do so. The Sultan was very angry +that any of his servants, especially in the immediate employ of his +household, should, after so many years' service, say that he was +penniless. Disbelieving the statement, and in order to make an +example, the Sultan gave orders that Hassan should quit the Palace in +the identical state he had entered it twenty-five years before. +Hassan was accordingly disrobed of all his splendor, and his various +effects, the accumulation of a quarter of a century, were confiscated, +and distributed amongst the legion of Palace servants. Poor Hassan, +without a piaster in his pocket, and dressed in the rude costume of +his native province, began his weary journey homeward on foot. + +In time he reached the suburbs of a town in Asia Minor, and seeing +some boys playing, he approached them, sat on the ground, and watched +their pastime. The boys were playing at state affairs: one was a +Sultan, another his Vizier, who had his cabinet of Ministers, while +close by were a number of boys bound hand and foot, representing +political and other prisoners, awaiting judgment for their imaginary +misdeeds. The Sultan, who was sitting with worthy dignity on a throne +made of branches and stones, decorated with many-colored centrepieces, +beckoned to Hassan to draw near, and asked him where he had come from. +Hassan replied that he had come from Stamboul, from the Palace of the +Sultan. + +"That's a lie," said the mock Sultan, "no one ever came from Stamboul +dressed in that fashion, much less from the Palace; you are from the +far interior, and if you do not confess that what I say is true, you +will be tried by my Ministers, and punished accordingly." + +Hassan, partly to participate in their boyish amusement, and partly to +unburden his aching heart, related his sad fate to his youthful +audience. When he had finished, the boy Sultan, Ali by name, asked him +if he had received his twenty-five years. Hassan, not fully grasping +what the boy said, replied: + +"Nothing! Nothing!" + +"That is unjust," continued Ali, "and you shall go back to the Sultan +and ask that your twenty-five years be returned to you so that you may +plough and till your ground, and thus make provision for the period of +want, old age." + +Hassan was struck by the sound advice the boy had given him, thanked +him and said he would follow it to the letter. The boys then in +thoughtless mirth separated, to return to their homes, never dreaming +that the seeds of destiny of one of their number had been sown in +play. Hassan, retracing his steps, reappeared in time at the gates of +the Palace and begged admittance, stating that he had forgotten to +communicate something of importance to his Majesty. His request being +granted, he humbly solicited, that, inasmuch as his Majesty had been +dissatisfied with his long service, the twenty-five years he had +devoted to him should be returned, so that he might labor and put by +something to provide for the inevitable day when he could no longer +work. The Sultan answered: + +"That is well said and just. As it is not in my power to give you the +twenty-five years, the best equivalent I can grant you is the means of +sustenance for a period of that duration should you live so long. But +tell me, who advised you to make this request?" + +Hassan then related his adventure with the boys while on his journey +home, and his Majesty was so pleased with the judgment and advice of +the lad that he sent for him and had him educated. The boy studied +medicine, and distinguishing himself in the profession ultimately rose +to be Hekim Ali Pasha. + +He had one son who was known as Doctor Ali Pasha's son. He studied +calligraphy, and became so proficient in this art, now almost lost, +that his imitations of the Imperial Irades (decrees) were perfect +fac-similes of the originals. One day he took it into his head to +write an Irade appointing himself Grand Vizier, in place of the +reigning one, a protege of the Imperial Palace, which Irade he took to +the Sublime Porte and there and then installed himself. By chance the +Sultan happened to drive through Stamboul that day, in disguise, and +noticing considerable excitement and cries of "Padishahim chok yasha" +(long live my Sultan) amongst the people, made inquiries as to the +cause of this unusual occurrence. His Majesty's informers brought him +the word that the people rejoiced in the fall of the old Grand Vizier, +and the appointment of the new one, Doctor Ali Pasha's son. The Sultan +returned to the Palace and immediately sent one of his eunuchs to the +Sublime Porte to see the Grand Vizier and find out the meaning of +these strange proceedings. + +The eunuch was announced, and the Grand Vizier ordered him to be +brought into his presence. Directly he appeared in the doorway, he was +greeted with: "What do you want, you black dog?" + +Then turning to the numerous attendants about, he said: "Take this +nigger to the slave market, and see what price he will bring." + +The eunuch was taken to the slave market, and the highest price bid +for him was fifty piasters. On hearing this, the Grand Vizier turned +to the eunuch and said: "Go and tell your master what you are worth, +and tell him that I think it too much by far." + +The eunuch was glad to get off, and communicated to his Majesty the +story of his strange treatment. The Sultan then ordered his Chief +Eunuch, a not unimportant personage in the Ottoman Empire, to call on +the Grand Vizier for an explanation. At the Sublime Porte, however, no +respect was paid to this high dignitary. Ali Pasha received him in +precisely the same manner as he had received his subordinate. The +chief was taken to the slave market, and the highest sum bid for him +was five hundred piasters. The self-appointed Grand Vizier ordered him +to go and tell his master the amount some foolish people were willing +to pay for him. + +When the Sultan heard of these strange proceedings he sent an +autograph letter to Ali Pasha, commanding him to come to the Palace. +The Grand Vizier immediately set out for the Palace and was received +in audience, when he explained to his Majesty that the affairs of +State could not be managed by men not worth more than from fifty to +five hundred piasters, and that if radical changes were not made, +certain ruin would be the outcome. The Sultan appreciated this earnest +communication, and ratified the appointment, as Grand Vizier, of Ali +Pasha, the son of the boy who had played at state affairs in a village +of Asia Minor. + + + + +THE MERCIFUL KHAN + + +There lived once near Ispahan a tailor, a hard-working man, who was +very poor. So poor was he that his workshop and house together +consisted of a wooden cottage of but one room. + +But poverty is no protection against thieves, and so it happened that +one night a thief entered the hut of the tailor. The tailor had driven +nails in various places in the walls on which to hang the garments +that were brought to him to mend. It chanced that in groping about for +plunder, the thief struck against one of these nails and put out his +eye. + +The next morning the thief appeared before the Khan (Judge) and +demanded justice. The Khan accordingly sent for the tailor, stated +the complaint of the thief, and said that in accordance with the law, +'an eye for an eye,' it would be necessary to put out one of the +tailor's eyes. As usual, however, the tailor was allowed to plead in +his own defence, whereupon he thus addressed the court: + +"Oh great and mighty Khan, it is true that the law says _an_ eye for +an eye, but it does not say _my_ eye. Now I am a poor man, and a +tailor. If the Khan puts out one of my eyes, I will not be able to +carry on my trade, and so I shall starve. Now it happens that there +lives near me a gunsmith. He uses but one eye with which he squints +along the barrel of his guns. Take his other eye, oh Khan, and let the +law be satisfied." + +The Khan was favorably impressed with this idea, and accordingly sent +for the gunsmith. He recited to the gunsmith the complaint of the +thief and the statement of the tailor, whereupon the gunsmith said: + +"Oh great and mighty Khan, this tailor knows not whereof he talks. I +need both of my eyes; for while it is true that I squint one eye +along one side of the barrel of the gun, to see if it is straight, I +must use the other eye for the other side. If, therefore, you put out +one of my eyes you will take away from me the means of livelihood. It +happens, however, that there lives not far from me a flute-player. Now +I have noticed that whenever he plays the flute he closes both of his +eyes. Take out one of his eyes, oh Khan, and let the law be +satisfied." + +Accordingly, the Khan sent for the flute-player, and after reciting to +him the complaint of the thief, and the words of the gunsmith, he +ordered him to play upon his flute. This the flute-player did, and +though he endeavored to control himself, he did not succeed, but, as +the result of long habit, closed both of his eyes. When the Khan saw +this, he ordered that one of the flute-player's eyes be put out, which +being done, the Khan spoke as follows: + +"Oh flute-player, I saw that when playing upon your flute you closed +both of your eyes. It was thus clear to me that neither was necessary +for your livelihood, and I had intended to have them both put out, but +I have decided to put out only one in order that you may tell among +men how merciful are the Khans." + + + + +KING KARA-KUSH OF BITHYNIA + + +A King of Bithynia, named Kara-kush, who was blind of an eye, was +considered in his day a reasonable, just, and feeling man. He +administered justice upon the basis of the law, 'An eye for an eye, a +tooth for a tooth,' and enlarged or modified it as circumstances +demanded. + +It happened that a weaver by accident put out the eye of a man. He was +brought before the King or Cadi, for in those days the Kings acted as +Cadis, who promptly condemned him, in accordance with the law, to the +loss of an eye. The weaver pleaded touchingly, saying: + +"Oh Cadi! I have a wife and a large family, and I support them by +throwing the shuttle from the right to the left, and again from the +left to the right; first using the one eye and then the other. If you +remove one of my eyes, I will not be able to weave, and my wife and +children will suffer the pangs of hunger. Why not, in the place of my +eye, remove that of the hunter who uses but one eye in exercising his +profession, and to whom two eyes are superfluous?" + +The Cadi was impressed, acknowledged the justice of the weaver's +remarks, and the hunter was immediately sent for. The hunter being +brought, the Cadi was greatly rejoiced to notice that the hunter's +eyes were exactly the same color as his own. He asked the hunter how +he earned his living, and receiving his answer that he was a hunter, +the Cadi asked him how he shot. The hunter in reply demonstrated the +manner by putting up his arms, his head to a side, and closing one +eye. The Cadi said the weaver was right, and immediately sent for the +surgeon to have the eye removed. Further, the Cadi bethought him that +he might profit by this and have the hunter's eye placed in his own +socket. The surgeon set to work and prepared the cavity to receive +the hunter's eye. This done with a practised hand, the surgeon removed +the hunter's eye and was about to place it in the prepared socket, +when it accidentally slipped from his fingers to the ground, and was +snatched up by a cat. The surgeon was terrified and madly ran after +the cat; but alas! the cat had eaten the eye. What was he to do? On +the inspiration of the moment he snatched out the eye of the cat, and +placing it in the Cadi's head, bound it up. + +Some time after the surgeon asked the Cadi how he saw. + +"Oh," replied the Cadi, "with my old eye I see as usual, but strange +to say, the new eye you placed in my head is continually searching and +watching for rat holes." + + + + +THE PRAYER RUG AND THE DISHONEST STEWARD + + +A poor Hamal (porter) brought to the Pasha of Stamboul his savings, +consisting of a small canvas bag of medjidies (Turkish silver +dollars), to be kept for him, while he was absent on a visit to his +home. The Pasha, being a kind-hearted man, consented, and after +sealing the bag, called his steward, instructing him to keep it till +the owner called for it. The steward gave the man a receipt, to the +effect that he had received a sealed bag containing money. + +When the poor man returned, he went to the Pasha and received his bag +of money. On reaching his room he opened the bag, and to his horror +found that it contained, instead of the medjidies he had put in it, +copper piasters, which are about the same size as medjidies. The poor +Hamal was miserable, his hard-earned savings gone. + +He at last gathered courage to go and put his case before the Pasha. +He took the bag of piasters, and with trembling voice and faltering +heart he assured the Pasha that though he had received his bag +apparently intact, on opening it he found that it contained copper +piasters and not the medjidies he had put in it. The Pasha took the +bag, examined it closely, and after some time noticed a part that had +apparently been darned by a master-hand. The Pasha told the Hamal to +go away and come back in a week; in the meantime he would see what he +could do for him. The grateful man departed, uttering prayers for the +life and prosperity of his Excellency. + +The next morning after the Pasha had said his prayers kneeling on a +most magnificent and expensive rug, he took a knife and cut a long +rent in it. He then left his Konak without saying a word to any one. +In the evening when he returned he found that the rent had been so +well repaired that it was with difficulty that he discovered where it +had been. Calling his steward, he demanded who had repaired his prayer +rug. The steward told the Pasha that he thought the rug had been cut +by accident by some of the servants, so he had sent to the Bazaar for +the darner, Mustapha, and had it mended, the steward, by way of +apology, adding that it was very well done. + +"Send for Mustapha immediately," said the Pasha, "and when he comes +bring him to my room." + +When Mustapha arrived, the Pasha asked him if he had repaired the rug. +Mustapha at once replied that he had mended it that very morning. + +"It is indeed well done," said the Pasha; "much better than the darn +you made in that canvas bag." + +Mustapha agreed, saying that it was very difficult to mend the bag as +it was full of copper piasters. On hearing this, the Pasha gave him a +backsheesh (present) and told him to retire. The Pasha then called his +steward, and not only compelled him to pay the Hamal his money, but +discharged him from his service, in which he had been engaged for many +years. + + + + +THE GOOSE, THE EYE, THE DAUGHTER, AND THE ARM + + +A Turk decided to have a feast, so he killed and stuffed a goose and +took it to the baker to be roasted. The Cadi of the village happened +to pass by the oven as the baker was basting the goose, and was +attracted by the pleasant and appetizing odor. Approaching the baker, +the Cadi said it was a fine goose; that the smell of it made him quite +hungry, and suggested that he had better send it to his house. The +baker expostulated, saying: "I cannot; it does not belong to me." + +The Cadi assured him that was no difficulty. "You tell Ahmet, the +owner of the goose, that it flew away." + +"Impossible!" said the baker. "How can a roasted goose fly away? Ahmet +will only laugh at me, your Worship, and I will be cast into prison." + +"Am I not a Judge?" said the Cadi, "fear nothing." + +At this the baker consented to send the goose to the Cadi's house. +When Ahmet came for his goose the baker said: "Friend, thy goose has +flown." + +"Flown?" said Ahmet, "what lies! Am I thy grandfather's grandchild +that thou shouldst laugh in my beard?" + +Seizing one of the baker's large shovels, he lifted it to strike him, +but, as fate would have it, the handle put out the eye of the baker's +boy, and Ahmet, frightened at what he had done, ran off, closely +followed by the baker and his boy, the latter crying: "My eye!" + +In his hurry Ahmet knocked over a child, killing it, and the father of +the child joined in the chase, calling out: "My daughter!" + +Ahmet, well-nigh distracted, rushed into a mosque and up a minaret. To +escape his pursuers he leaped from the parapet, and fell upon a +vender who was passing by, breaking his arm. The vender also began +pursuing him, calling out: "My arm!" + +Ahmet was finally caught and brought before the Cadi, who no doubt was +feeling contented with the world, having just enjoyed the delicious +goose. + +The Cadi heard each of the cases brought against Ahmet, who in turn +told his case truthfully as it had happened. + +"A complicated matter," said the Cadi. "All these misfortunes come +from the flight of the goose, and I must refer to the book of the law +to give just judgment." + +Taking down a ponderous manuscript volume, the Cadi turned to Ahmet +and asked him what number egg the goose had been hatched from. Ahmet +said he did not know. + +"Then," replied the Cadi, "the book writes that such a phenomenon was +possible. If this goose was hatched from the seventh egg, and the +hatcher also from the seventh egg, the book writes that it is possible +for a roasted goose, under those conditions, to fly away." + +"With reference to your eye," continued the Cadi, addressing the +baker's lad, "the book provides punishment for the removal of two +eyes, but not of one, so if you will consent to your other eye being +taken out, I will condemn Ahmet to have both of his removed." + +The baker's lad, not appreciating the force of this argument, withdrew +his claim. + +Then turning to the father of the dead child, the Cadi explained that +the only provision for a case like this in the book of the law, was +that he take Ahmet's child in its place, or if Ahmet had not a child, +to wait till he got one. The bereaved parent not taking any interest +in Ahmet's present or prospective children, also withdrew his case. + +These cases settled, there remained but the vender's, who was wroth at +having his arm broken. The Cadi expatiated on the justice of the law +and its far-seeing provisions, that the vender at least could claim +ample compensation for having his arm broken. The book of the law +provided that he should go to the very same minaret, and that Ahmet +must station himself at the very same place where he had stood when +his arm was broken; and that he might jump down and break Ahmet's arm. + +"But be it understood," concluded the Cadi, "if you break his leg +instead of his arm, Ahmet will have the right to delegate some one to +jump down on you to break your leg." + +The vender not seeing the force of the Cadi's proposal, also withdrew +his claim. + +Thus ended the cases of the goose, the eye, the daughter, and the +arm. + + + + +THE FORTY WISE MEN + + +On a day amongst the many days, when the Turk was more earnest than +now, before the Europeans came and gave new ideas to our children, +there lived and labored for the welfare of our people an organized +body of men. At whose suggestion this society was formed I know not. +All that we know of them to-day, through our fathers, is that their +forefathers chose from among them the most wise, sincere, and +experienced forty brethren. These forty were named the Forty Wise Men. +When one of the forty was called away from his labors here, perhaps to +continue them in higher spheres, or to receive his reward, who knows? +the remaining thirty-nine consulted and chose from the community him +whom they thought capable, and worthy of guiding and of being guided, +to add to their number. They lived and held their meetings in a mosque +of which little remains now, the destructive hand of time having left +it but a battered dome, with cheerless walls and great square holes, +where once were iron bars and stained glass. It has gone--so have the +wise men. But its foundations are solid, and they may in time come to +support an edifice dedicated to noble work, and, Inshallah, the seed +of the Forty Wise Men will also bear fruit in the days that are not +yet. + +You will say, what good did this body of men do? These men who always +numbered forty were, as I have told you, originally chosen by the +people, and when one of the forty departed from his labors here, the +remaining thirty-nine consulted together and from the most worthy of +the community they chose another member. + +What was the good of this body of men? Great, great, my friends. Not +only did they administer justice to the oppressed, and give to the +needy substantial aid; but their very existence had the most +beneficial effect on the community. Why? you ask. Because each vied +with the other to be worthy of being nominated for the vacancy when it +occurred. No station in life was too low to be admitted, no station +was too high for one of the faithful to become one of the 'Forty.' +Here all were equal. As Allah himself doth consider mankind by deeds, +so also mankind was considered by the Forty Wise Men, who presided +over the welfare and smoothed the destiny of the children of Allah. +With their years, their wisdom grew, and they were blessed by Allah. + + * * * * * + +In the town of Scutari, over the way, there lived and labored a +Dervish. His counsel to the rash was ever ready, his sole object, +apparently, in life was to become one of the Forty Wise Men, who +presided over the people and protected them from all ills. + +The years went on, and still without a reward he patiently labored, no +doubt contenting himself with the idea that the day would come when +the merit of his actions would be recognized by Allah. That was a +mistake, my friends; true faith expecteth nothing. However, the day +did come, and the Dervish's great desire had every appearance of being +realized. One of the Forty Wise Men having accomplished his mission on +earth, departed this life. The remaining thirty-nine, who still had +duties to fulfil, consulted as to whom they should call to aid them in +their work. A eulogy was pronounced in favor of the Dervish. They not +unjustly considered how he had labored among the poor in Scutari; ever +ready to help the needy, ever ready to counsel the rash, ever ready to +comfort and encourage the despairing. It was decided that he should be +nominated. A deputation consisting of three, two to listen, one to +speak, was named, and with the blessing of their brethren, for +success, they entered a caique and were rowed to Scutari. Arriving at +the Dervish's gate, the spokesman thus addressed the would-be member +of the Forty Wise Men: + +"Brother in the flesh, thy actions have been noted, and we come to put +a proposition to thee, which, after consideration, thou wilt either +accept or reject as thou thinkest best for all interested therein. We +would ask thee to become one of us. We are sent hither by, and are the +representatives of, the sages who preside over the people. Brother, we +number in all one hundred and thirty-eight in spirit;--ninety-nine, +having accomplished their task in the flesh, have departed; +thirty-nine, still in the flesh, endeavor their duty to fulfil. And it +is the desire of the one hundred and thirty-eight souls to add to us +thyself, in order to complete our number of laborers in the flesh. +Brother, thy duties, which will be everlasting, thou wilt learn when +with us. Do thou consider, and we will return at the setting of the +sun of the third day, to receive thy answer." + +And they turned to depart. But the Dervish stopped them, saying: +"Brothers, I have no need to consider the subject for three days, +seeing that my inmost desire for thirty years, and my sole object in +life has been to become worthy of being one of you. In spirit I have +long been your brother, in the flesh it is easy to comply, seeing that +it has been the spirit's desire." + +Then answered the spokesman: "Brother, thou hast spoken well. Allah, +thou art with us in our choice; we praise Thee. Brother, one word! Our +ways are different to all men's ways; thou hast but to have faith, and +all is well." + +"Brethren, faith! I have had faith; my faith is now even strengthened. +I do your bidding." + +"Brother, first of all thy worldly goods must be disposed of and +rendered into gold. Every earthly possession thou hast must be +represented by a piece of gold. Therefore see to that; we have other +duties to fulfil, but will return ere the sun sets in the west." + +The Dervish set about selling all his goods; and when the coloring of +the sky in the west harbingered the closing of the day, he had +disposed of everything and stood waiting with naught but a sack of +gold. + +The three wise men returned, and, on seeing the Dervish, said: +"Brother, thou hast done well; we will hence." + +A caique was in waiting, and the four entered. Silently the caique +glided over the smooth surface of the Bosphorus; and silently the +occupants sat. When beyond Maidens' Tower, the spokesman, turning to +the Dervish, said: "Brother, with thy inmost blessing give me that +sack, representing everything thou dost possess in this world." + +The Dervish handed the sack as he was bidden, and the wise man +solemnly rose, and holding it on high, said: "With the blessing of our +brother Mustapha," and dropped it where the current is strongest. +Then, sitting down, resumed his silence. The deed was done, and +nothing outward told the story; the Caiquedji dipped his oars, and +the waves rippled as soft as before. Nothing but the distant, soothing +cry of the Muezzin, calling the faithful to prayer, now waxing, now +waning, now completely dying away as they moved around the minarets, +broke the stillness. + +Ere long the boat was brought to the shore, the four men wended their +way up the steep hill, and the horizon, wrapped in the mantle of +night, hid them from the boatman's sight. A few minutes' walk brought +them to the mosque of the Forty Wise Men; the spokesman turned to the +Dervish, and said: "Brother, faithfully follow," and then passed +through the doorway. They entered a large, vaulted chamber, the +ceiling of which was artistically inlaid with mosaiques, and the floor +covered with tiles of the ceramic art of bygone ages. From the centre +hung a large chandelier holding a number of little oil cups, each +shedding its tiny light, as if to show that union was strength. Round +this chandelier were seven brass filagreed, hemispherical-shaped +lanterns, holding several oil burners. These many tiny burners gave a +soothing, contented, though undefined light, which, together with the +silence, added to the impressiveness of the place. Round this hall +were forty boxes of the same shape and size. + +Our friend stood in the centre of the hall and under the influence of +the scene, he was afraid to breathe; he did not know whether to be +happy or sad, for having come so far. + +As he stood thus thinking, dreaming, one of the curtains was raised, +and there came forth a very old man, his venerable white beard all but +touching his girdle. + +Solemnly and slowly he walked over to the opposite side, and following +in his train came thirty-eight more, the last apparently being the +youngest. + +Chill after chill went coursing down the spinal cord of the astonished +would-be brother, whilst these men moved about in the unbroken +silence, as if talking to invisible beings; now embracing, now +clasping hands, now bidding farewell. + +The Dervish closed his eyes, opened them, Were these things so? Yes, +it was no dream, no hallucination. Yet why heard he no sound? + +Each of the brethren now took his place beside a box, but there was +one vacancy; no one stood at the side of the box to the left of the +youngest brother. Making a profound salaam, which all answered, the +old man silently turned, raised the curtain, and passed into the +darkness, each in his order following. As one in a trance, the Dervish +watched one after another disappear. The last now raised the curtain, +but before vanishing, turned (it was the spokesman), and whispered: +"Brother, faith, follow!" and stepped into the darkness. + +These words acted upon the Dervish like a spell; he followed. + +Up, up, the winding stairway of a minaret they go. At last they +arrive, and to the horror of the Dervish, what does he see? One, two, +three, disappear over the parapet, and his friend the spokesman, +with: "Brother, faith, follow!" also vanished into the inky darkness. + +Again at the eleventh hour did the cheering words of the brother +spokesman act upon the Dervish like magic, he raised his foot to the +parapet, and, in faltering decision, jumped up two or three times. But +man's guardian does not lead him over the rugged paths of life; he +gives the impulse and you must go. So it was with the Dervish. He +jumped once, twice, thrice, but each time fell backward instead of +forward. My friends, he hesitated again; at the eleventh hour he was +encouraged, but undecided--he was not equal to the test. So, with a +great weight on his heart, he descended the winding stairs of the +minaret. He had reached his zenith only in desire, and was now on his +decline. + +Lamenting, like a weak mortal that he was, for not having followed, he +again entered the hall he had just left, with the intention, no doubt, +of departing. + +But the charm of the place was on him again, and as he stood the +curtain moved, and the old man advanced; and as before, the silence +was unbroken. Again did each take his place beside a box, again did +the old man salaam, with the simultaneous response of the others. +Again did they gesture as if talking to invisible beings of some +calamity which had befallen them which they all regretted. + +The old man went and opened the box that stood alone. From this he +took, what? the identical bag of gold that had been dropped into the +Bosphorus some hours ago. The spokesman came forward and took it from +the hand of the old man. The Dervish now no longer believed that _he_ +was _he_ himself, and that these things were taking place. He +understood not, he knew not. + +Coming forward, the spokesman thus addressed the spell-bound Dervish, +his voice giving a strange echo, as if his words were emphasized by a +hundred invisible mouths: + +"Friend and brother in the flesh, but weak of the spirit, thou hast +proved thyself unworthy to impart that which thou hast not +thyself,--Faith! Thine actions hitherto, of seeming conviction, have +not been for the eye of the Almighty, the All-seeing, the All-powerful +alone, but for the approbation of mankind. To get this approbation +thou hast soared out of thine element; the atmosphere is too rarified, +thou canst not live, thou must return! + +"Get thee back into the world, back to thy brothers; thou canst not be +one of us. One hundred and thirty-nine in the spirit have regretfully +judged thee as lacking in faith, and not having a sheltered apartment +within thyself, thou canst not shelter others. No man can bequeath +that which he hath not. Go thy way, and in secret build thee a wall, +brick by brick, action by action; let none see thy place but the eye +that seeth all, lest a side, when all but completed, fall, and thou +art again exposed to the four winds. Take thy money, thine all, and +when hesitation interrupts, offer a prayer in thy heart, and then +faithfully follow! Farewell!" + +And the Dervish was led out into the street, a lone and solitary man; +he had his all in his hand--a bag of gold. + + + + +HOW THE PRIEST KNEW THAT IT WOULD SNOW + + +A Turk travelling in Asia Minor came to a Christian village. He +journeyed on horseback, was accompanied by a black slave, and seeming +a man of consequence, the priest of the village offered him +hospitality for the night. The first thing to be done was to conduct +the traveller to the stable, that he might see his horse attended to +and comfortably stalled for the night. In the stable was a magnificent +Arab horse, belonging to the priest, and the Turk gazed upon it with +covetous eyes, but nevertheless, in order that no ill should befall +the beautiful creature and to counteract the influence of the evil eye +with certainty, he spat at the animal. After they had dined, the +priest took his guest for a walk in the garden, and in the course of +a very pleasant conversation he informed the Turk that on the morrow +there would be snow on the ground. + +"Never! Impossible!" said the Turk. + +"Well, to-morrow you will see that I am right," said the priest. + +"I am willing to stake my horse against yours, that you are wrong," +answered the Turk, who was delighted at this opportunity which gave +him a chance of securing the horse, without committing the breach in +Oriental etiquette of asking his host if he would sell it. After some +persuasion the priest accepted his wager, and they separated for the +night. + +Later on that night, the Turk said to his slave: "Go, Sali, go and see +what the weather says, for truly my life is in want of our good host's +horse." + +Sali went out to make an observation, and on returning said to his +master: "Master, the heavens are like unto your face,--without a frown +and many kindly sparkling eyes, and the earth is like unto that of +your black slave." + +"'Tis well, Sali, 'tis well. What a beautiful animal that is!" + +Later on, before retiring to rest, he sent his slave on another +inspection, and was gratified to receive the same answer. Early in the +morning he awoke, and calling his slave, who had slept at his door, he +sent him forth again to see if any change had taken place. + +"Oh master!" reported Sali, in trembling tones, "Nature has reversed +herself, for the heavens are now like the scowling face of your slave, +and the earth is like yours, white, entirely white." + +"Chok shai! wonderful thing. Then I have lost not only that beautiful +animal but my own horse as well. Oh pity! Oh pity!" + +He gave up his horse, but before parting he begged the priest to tell +him how he knew it would snow. + +"My pig told me as we were walking in the garden yesterday. I saw it +put its nose in the heap of manure you see in that corner, and I knew +that to be a sure sign that it would snow on the morrow," replied the +priest. + +Deeply mystified, the Turk and his slave proceeded on foot. Reaching a +Turkish village before nightfall, he sought and obtained shelter for +the night from the Imam, the Mohammedan priest of the village. While +partaking of the evening meal he asked the Imam when the feast of the +Bairam would be. + +"Truly, I do not know! When the cannons fire, I will know it is +Bairam," said his host. + +"What!" said the traveller, becoming angry, "you an Imam,--a learned +Hodja,--and don't know when it will be Bairam, and the pig of the +Greek priest knew when it would snow? Shame! Shame!" + +And becoming much angered, he declined the hospitality of the Imam and +went elsewhere. + + + + +WHO WAS THE THIRTEENTH SON + + +In the town of Adrianople there lived an Armenian Patriarch, Munadi +Hagop by name, respected and loved alike by Mussulman and Christian. +He was a man of wide reading and profound judgment. The Ottoman +Governor of the same place, Usref Pasha, happened also to be a man of +considerable acquirements and education. The Armenian and the Turk +associated much together. In fact, they were always either walking out +together or visiting, one at the residence of the other. This went on +for some time, and the twelve wise men who were judges in the city +thought that their Governor was doing wrong in associating so much +with a dog of a Christian; so they resolved to call him to account. + +This resolution taken, the entire twelve proceeded to the house of the +Governor and told him that he was setting a bad example to his +subjects. They feared, too, that the salvation of his own soul and of +his posterity was in danger, should this Armenian in any way influence +his mind. + +"My friends," answered the Governor, "this man is very learned, and +the only reason why we so often come together is because a great +sympathy exists between us, and much mutual pleasure is derived from +this friendship. I ask his advice, and he gives me a clear +explanation. He is my friend, and I would gladly see him your friend." + +"Oh," said the spokesman of the judges, "it is his wise answers that +act as magic upon you? We will give him a question to answer, and if +he solves this to our satisfaction, he will then in reality be a great +man." + +"I am sure you will not be disappointed!" said the Pasha. "He has +never failed me, and I have sometimes put questions to him which +appeared unanswerable. He will surely call to-morrow. Shall I send him +to you or bring him myself?" + +"We wish to see him alone," said the judges. + +"I shall not fail to send him to you to-morrow, after which I am sure +you will often seek his company." + +On the following day the Pasha told the Patriarch how matters stood, +and begged him to call on the gentlemen who took so lively an interest +in their friendly association. + +The Patriarch, never dreaming of what would happen, called on the +twelve wise men and introduced himself. They were holding the Divan, +and the entrance of the Patriarch gave considerable pleasure to them. +On the table lay a turban and a drawn sword. + +The customary salutations having been duly exchanged, the Patriarch +seated himself, and at once told them that his friend the Governor had +asked him to call, and he took much pleasure in making their +acquaintance, adding that he would be happy to do anything in his +power that they might wish. + +The spokesman of the Divan rose and said: "Effendi, our friend the +Governor has told us of your great learning, and we have decided to +put a question to you. The reason of our taking this liberty is +because the Governor told us that he had never put a question to you +which had remained unanswered." + +And as he spoke he moved toward the table. + +"Effendi, our question will consist of only a few words." And laying +his right hand on the turban and his left hand on the sword, he said: +"Is this the right, or is this the right?" + +The Patriarch paused aghast at the terrible feature of the +interrogation. He saw destruction staring him in the face. +Nevertheless he said to them with great composure: "Gentlemen, you +have put an exceedingly difficult question to me, the most difficult +that could be put to man. However, it is a question put, and now, +according to your laws, cannot be recalled." + +"No," answered the twelve wise men, rubbing their hands, "it cannot be +recalled." + +"I will but say that it grieves me much to have to reply to this," the +Patriarch continued, "and I cannot do so without continued prayers for +guidance. Therefore I beg to request a week's time before giving my +answer." + +To this no objection was made, and the Patriarch prepared to go. +Respectfully bowing to all present, as if nothing out of the common +had happened, he slowly moved toward the door apparently in deep +thought. + +Just as he reached the door he turned back and addressing the judges, +said: + +"Gentlemen, one of the reasons I had great pleasure in meeting you +to-day was because I wished to have your advice on a difficult legal +problem which has been presented to me by some members of my +community. Knowing your great wisdom, I thought you might assist me, +and as you are now sitting in lawful council I shall, if agreeable to +you, put the case before you and be greatly pleased to learn your +opinion." + +The judges, whose curiosity was aroused, and who were flattered that a +man of such reputation for wisdom should submit a matter to them for +their opinion, signified to him to proceed. + +"Gentlemen and wise men," began the Patriarch, "there was once a +father, and this father had thirteen sons, who were esteemed by all +who knew them. As time with sure hand marked its progress on the issue +of this good man, and the children grew into youth, they one by one +went into the world, spreading to the four known quarters of the +globe, and carrying with them the good influence given by their +father. Through them the name of the father spread, causing a great +moral and mental revolution throughout the world. The father in his +native home, however, saw that his days were few, that he had +well-nigh turned the leaves of the book of life, and yearned to see +his sons once more. He accordingly sent messengers all over the +world, saying: 'Come, my sons, and receive your father's blessing; he +is about to depart this life, come and get each one your portion of +the worldly possessions I have, together with my blessing, and again +go forth, doing each your duty to God and man.' + +"One by one the sons of the aged father came, and once more were +united in the ancient home of their childhood, with the exception of +one son. The remaining days of the old man were spent with his twelve +sons, and the brothers found that all of them had retained the +teachings of infancy, and the pleasure was great. The reuniting of the +family, though of comparatively short duration, was happier by far +than the years of childhood and youth which they had spent together. +Still the thirteenth son was not found. The messengers returned one +after the other, bearing no tidings of him. The old father saw that he +could wait no longer, that he must dispose of his worldly +possessions, give his blessing to his twelve sons and rejoin his +Father. So he called them to his side and thus spoke to them: + +"'My sons, as you have done may it be done unto you. You have cheered +my last steps to the grave, and I bless you.' + +"And the father's blessing was bestowed on each. + +"'Of all I possess I give to each of you an equal share with my +blessing. You are my offspring and the representatives of your father +on earth. It is my will that you should continue as you have begun. +You are my twelve sons, and I have no other. Your brother who was, is +no longer. We have waited long, that he should take his portion and my +blessing; but he has tarried elsewhere, and now the hand of my Father +is on me, and as you have come to me, so I must go to show Him my +work.' + +"So the father ordained that the twelve should be his heirs, and +declared that any one coming after claiming to be his son, was an +impostor. He also confirmed in the existing and competent courts that +these alone were his representatives on earth. This was duly +registered in conformity with the law, and the old father passed away +to rejoin his forefathers. + +"The twelve sons again went forth into the world and carried with them +the blessings and teachings of their father, and these teachings and +ideas developed and grew, and the memory of their father was cherished +and blessed. + +"Many years after, a person turned up claiming to be the missing son, +and sought to obtain the part due to him. Not only did he wish his +share, but he claimed the whole worldly possessions of his father, +that he was the son blessed by his father, and exhorted all to follow +his teachings. By those who knew the circumstances, he was not +believed; but many were ignorant of the father, and also ignorant of +the registering in the courts of law, and were inclined to believe in +the impostor. + +"Now, gentlemen, this is the case that has troubled me much. As you +are sitting in lawful council, it would give me much pleasure if you +could cast light on the case. Your statement will help me, and I will +be ever grateful to you. Had this son, the late returned person, any +right to all the worldly possessions of the father, or, in fact, even +any right to an equal share?" + +Thus having spoken he turned to the Hodjas with an inquiring look. +They one and all, unanimously, and in a breath said, that all the +legal formalities having been carried out, the will of the father was +law, and the law he passed should be respected, therefore the +thirteenth son was an impostor. On returning he should have gone to +his brothers, and no doubt he would have been received as a brother, +but he acted otherwise. He should receive nothing. + +"I am glad to see that you look at it in that light, and I will now +say that that has always been my opinion, but your statement now adds +strength to the conviction, and had there been any doubt on my part, +your unanimous declaration would have dispelled it. I would further +esteem it a great kindness and a favor if, as a reference and as a +proof of my authority, or rather as a corroboration of many proofs, +you would, as you are sitting in lawful Divan, give your signatures to +the effect that the decision of the learned council was unanimous, and +to this said effect, that the thirteenth son was an impostor, and had +no right to any of the possessions he claimed." + +Flattered that their opinion had such weight, the judges also +consented to do this, and the Patriarch set about drawing up the case. +This he read to them, and each put his hand and seal to the document. + +The Patriarch thanked them and departed. + +A week had passed, and the judges had entirely forgotten the case that +had been put to them, but they had not forgotten the Patriarch, and +eagerly awaited his answer to their question which left no +alternative, and which would cause his head to be separated from his +body by a blow of the executioner. But the Patriarch did not make his +appearance, and as the prescribed time had passed, the judges went to +the Governor to see what steps should be taken. + +The Governor was deeply grieved when the judges told him of the +terrible question they had put to the Patriarch, yet remembering +leaving that morning the Patriarch who had been with him, and who +seemed in no wise anxious, he said that he was convinced that either a +satisfactory answer had been given or would be forthcoming. He +questioned the Hodjas as to what had taken place, and they answered +that nothing had been said beyond the question that had been put to +him and his request for a week's time in which to answer. + +"Did he say nothing at all," asked the Pasha, "before he left?" + +"Nothing," said the spokesman of the judges, "except that he put to us +a case which he had been called on to decide and asked our opinion." + +"What was this case?" asked the Pasha. And the judges recited it to +him, told what opinion they had given, and stated that they had, at +the Patriarch's request and for his use, placed their seal to this +opinion. + +"Go home, you heads of asses," said the Governor, "and thank Allah +that it is to a noble and a great man who would make no unworthy use +of it that you have delivered a document testifying that Mohammed is +an impostor. In future, venture not to enter into judgment with men +whom it has pleased God to give more wit than to yourselves." + + + + +PARADISE SOLD BY THE YARD + + +The chief Imam of the Vilayet of Broussa owed to a Jew money-lender +the sum of two hundred piasters. The Jew wanted his money and would +give no rest to the Imam. Daily he came to ask for it, but without +success. The Jew was becoming very anxious and determined to make a +great effort. Not being able to take the Imam to court, he decided to +try and shame him into paying the sum due; and to effect this, he +came, sat on his debtor's doorstep and bewailed his sad fate in having +fallen into the hands of a tyrant. The Imam saw that if this +continued, his reputation as a man of justice would be considerably +impaired, so he thought of a plan by which to pay off his creditor. +Calling the Jew into his house, he said: + +"Friend, what wilt thou do with the money if I pay thee?" + +"Get food, clothe my children, and advance in my business," answered +the Jew. + +"My friend," said the Imam, "thy pitiful position awakens my +compassion. Thou art gathering wealth in this world at the cost of thy +soul and peace in the world to come; and I wish I could help thee. I +will tell thee what I will do for thee. I would not do the same thing +for any other Jew in the world, but thou hast awakened my +commiseration. For the debt I owe thee, I will sell thee two hundred +yards of Paradise, and being owner of this incomparable possession in +the world to come, thou canst fearlessly go forth and earn as much as +possible in this world, having already made ample provision for the +next." + +What could the Jew do but take what the Imam was willing to give him? +So he accepted the deed for the two hundred yards of Paradise. A happy +thought now struck the Jew. He set off and found the tithe-collector +of the revenues of the mosque, and made friends with him. He then +explained to him, when the intimacy had developed, how he was the +possessor of a deed entitling him to two hundred yards of Paradise, +and offered the collector a handsome commission if he would help him +in disposing of it. When the money had been gathered for the quarter, +the collector came and discounted the Imam's document, returning it to +him as two hundred piasters of the tithes collected, with the +statement that this document had been given to him by a peasant, and +that bearing his holy seal, he dared not refuse it. + +The Imam was completely deceived, and thought that the Jew had sold +the deed at a discount to some of his subjects who were in arrears, +and of course had to receive it as being as good as gold. Nevertheless +the Jew was not forgotten, and the Imam determined to have him taken +into court and sentenced if possible. His charge against the Jew was +that he, the chief priest of the province, had taken pity on this +Jew, thinking what a terrible thing it was to know no future, and as +the man hitherto had an irreproachable character, in consideration of +a small debt he had against the church, which it was desirable to +balance, he thought he would give this Jew two hundred yards of +Paradise, which he did. + +"Now, gentlemen, this ungrateful dog sold this valuable document, and +it was brought back to me as payment of taxes in arrears due to the +church. Therefore, I say that this Jew has committed a great sin and +ought to be punished accordingly." + +The Cadis now turned to hear the Jew, who, the personification of +meekness, stood as if awaiting his death sentence. With the most +innocent look possible, the Jew replied, when the Cadis asked him what +he had to say for himself: + +"Effendim, it is needless to say how I appreciate the kindness of our +Imam, but the reason that I disposed of that valuable document was +this: When I went to Paradise I found a seat, and measured out my two +hundred yards, and took possession of the further inside end of the +bench. I had not been there long when a Turk came and sat beside me. I +showed him my document and protested against his taking part of my +seat; but, gentlemen, I assure you it was altogether useless; the +Turks came and came, one after the other, till, to make a long story +short, I fell off at the other end of the seat, and here I am. The +Turks in Paradise will take no heed of your document, and either will +not recognize the authority of the Imam, or will not let the Jews +enter therein. + +"Effendim, what could I do but come back and sell the document to men +who could enter Paradise, and this I did." + +The Cadis, after consulting, gave judgment as follows: + +"We note that you could not have done anything else but sell the two +hundred yards of Paradise, and the fact that you cannot enter there is +ample punishment for the wrong committed; but there is still a +grievous charge against you, which, if you can clear to our +satisfaction, you will at once be dismissed. How much did the document +cost you and what did you sell it for?" + +"Effendim, it cost me two hundred piasters, and I sold it for two +hundred piasters." + +This statement having been proved by producing the deed in question, +and the tithe-collector who had given it to the Imam for two hundred +piasters, the Jew was acquitted. + + + + +JEW TURNED TURK + + +Sirkedji, the landing-place on the Stamboul side of the Golden Horn, +is always a scene of bustle and noise. The Caiquedjis, striving for +custom, cry at the top of their voices: "I am bound for Haskeuy; I can +take another man; my fare is a piaster!" + +Others call in lusty tones, that they are bound for Karakeuy. Further +out in the stream are other caiques, bound for more distant places, +some with a passenger or two, others without. In one of these sat a +Jew patiently waiting, while the Caiquedji, standing erect, backed in +and out, every now and then calling at the top of his voice: +'Iuskidar,' meaning that he was bound for Scutari, on the Asiatic +shore. + +At last a Mussulman signed to him to approach, and inquired his fare. +After some bargaining, the Turk entered the caique, and the boatman +still held on to the pier in the hope of securing a third passenger, +which, after a very short time, he did. The third passenger happened +to be a Jew, who had forsaken his faith for that of Islam. + +This converted individual saw at a glance that one of his +fellow-passengers was a Moslem and the other a Jew, and wishing to +gain favor in the eyes of the former, he called the other a 'Yahoudi' +(meaning Jew, but usually employed as a term of disdain) and told him +to make room for him. This the Jew meekly did, without a murmur, and +the Caiquedji bent his oars for the Asiatic shore. The converted Jew +and the Turk started a conversation, which they kept up till within a +short distance of Scutari, when the Turk turned and said to the Jew, +who had humbly been sitting on the low seat with bowed head and closed +eyes: + +"And what have you to say on the subject, Moses?" + +"Alas! Pasha Effendi," answered the Jew, "I have been asleep, and have +not followed your conversation; and if I had, what worth could my +opinion be, I, a poor Jew?" + +The converted Jew then said: "At least, you can tell us, to pass the +time, where you have been in your sleep?" and he burst out laughing, +thinking it a capital joke. + +"I dreamt I was in Paradise," replied the poor Jew. "Oh! it was +wonderful! There were three great golden gates, and on the inside, at +the side of the keeper of each gate, stood Mohammed at one, Moses at +the other, and Jesus at the third. No one was allowed to pass into +Paradise, unless Mohammed, Moses, or Jesus gave the order that they +should pass. At Mohammed's gate a man knocked, and on being opened, +the keeper asked: + +"'What is your name?' to which he replied, 'Ahmet.' + +"'And your father's name?' again asked the keeper. 'Abdullah.' + +"And the prophet signed with his hand that he might enter. + +"I then went to the gate where Jesus stood, and heard the same +questions put to an applicant. He told the keeper that his name was +Aristide, and that his father's name was Vassili, and Jesus permitted +him to enter. + +"Hearing a loud knocking at Mohammed's gate again, I hurried to see +who the important comer was. There stood a man of confident mien, who +proudly answered that his name was Hussein Effendi. + +"'And your father's name?' asked the keeper. 'Abraham,' replied +Hussein. At this Mohammed said: 'Shut the door; you can't enter here; +mixtures will not do.'" + +"Eh! What happened next?" asked the Turk. + +"Just then, as the gate was shutting, I heard your voice and I awoke, +Pasha Effendi," answered the Jew; "and so I can't tell you." + +And as they approached the Scala (landing), they disembarked at +Scutari and separated without a word. + + + + +THE METAMORPHOSIS + + +Hussein Agha was much troubled in spirit and mind. He had saved a +large sum of money in order that he might make the pilgrimage to +Mecca. What troubled him was, that after having carefully provided for +all the expenses of this long journey there still remained a few +hundred piasters over and above. What was he to do with these? True, +they could be distributed amongst the poor, but then, might not he, on +his return, require the money for even a more meritorious purpose? + +After much consideration, he decided that it was not Allah's wish that +he should at once give this money in charity. On the other hand, he +felt convinced that he should not give it to a brother for safe +keeping, as he might be inspired, during Hussein's pilgrimage, to +spend it on some charitable purpose. After a time he thought of a +kindly Jew who was his neighbor, and decided to leave his savings in +the hands of this man, to whom Allah had been good, seeing that his +possessions were great. After mature thought he decided not to put +temptation in the way of his neighbor. He therefore secured a jar, at +the bottom of which he placed a small bag containing his surplus of +wealth, and filled it with olives. This he carried to his neighbor, +and begged him to take care of it for him. Ben Moise of course +consented, and Hussein Agha departed on his pilgrimage, contented. + +On his return from the Holy Land, Hussein, now a Hadji, repaired to +Ben Moise and asked for his jar of olives, and at the same time +presented Ben Moise with a rosary of Yemen stones, in recognition of +the service rendered him in the safe keeping of the olives, which, he +said, were exceptionally palatable. Ben Moise thanked him, and Hadji +Hussein departed with his jar, well satisfied. + +During the absence of Hussein Agha, it happened that Ben Moise had +some distinguished visitors, to whom, as is the Eastern custom, he +served raki. Unfortunately, however, he had no meze (appetizer) to +offer, as is also the custom in the East. Ben Moise bethought him of +the olives and immediately went to the cellar, opened the jar, and +extracted some of them, saying: "Olives are not rare; Hussein will +never know the difference if I replace them." + +The olives were found excellent, and Ben Moise again and again helped +his friends to them. Great was his surprise when he found that instead +of olives, he brought forth a bag containing a quantity of gold. Ben +Moise could not understand this phenomenon, but appropriated the gold +and held his peace. + +Arriving home, poor Hussein Agha was distracted to find that his jar +contained nothing but olives. Vainly did he protest to Ben Moise. + +"My friend," he would reply, "you gave me the jar, saying it contained +olives. I believed you and kept the jar safe for you. Now you say that +in the jar you had put some money together with the olives; perhaps +you did, but is not that the jar you gave me? If, as you say, there +was gold in the jar and it is now gone, all I can say is, the stronger +has overcome the weaker, and that in this case the gold has either +been converted into olives or into oil. What can I do? The jar you +gave me I returned to you." + +Hadji Hussein admitted this, and fully appreciated that he had no case +against the Jew, so saying: 'Chok shai!' he returned to his home. + +That night Hussein mingled in his prayers a vow to recover his gold at +no matter what cost or trouble. + +In his younger days Hadji Hussein had been a pipe-maker, and many were +the chibooks of exceptional beauty that he had made. Go but to the +potters' lane at Tophane, and the works of art displayed by the +majority of them have been fashioned by the hands of Hussein. The art +that had fed him for years was now to be the means of recovering his +money. + +Hadji Hussein daily met Ben Moise but he never again referred to the +money, and further, Hussein's sons were always in company with Ben +Moise's only son, a lad of ten. + +Time passed, and Ben Moise entirely forgot about the jar, olives, and +gold; not so Hadji Hussein. He had been working. First he had made an +effigy of Ben Moise. When he had completed this image to his +satisfaction, he dressed it in the identical manner and costume the +Jew habitually wore. He then purchased a monkey. This monkey was kept +in a cage opposite the effigy of Ben Moise. Twice a day regularly the +monkey's food was placed on the shoulders of the Jew, and Hussein +would open the cage, saying: "Babai git" (go to your father). At a +bound the monkey would plant himself on the shoulders of the Jew, and +would not be dislodged until its hunger had been satisfied. + +In the meantime Hadji Hussein and Ben Moise were greater friends than +ever, and their children were likewise playmates. One day Hussein took +Ben Moise's son to his Harem and told him, much to the lad's joy, that +he was to be their guest for a week. Later on Ben Moise called on +Hadji Hussein to know the reason of his son's not returning as usual +at sundown. + +"Ah, my friend," said Hussein, "a great calamity has befallen you! +Your son, alas! has been converted into a monkey, a furious monkey! So +furious that I was compelled to put him into a cage. Come and see for +yourself." + +No sooner did Ben Moise enter the room in which the caged monkey was, +than it set up a howl, not having had any food that day. Poor Ben +Moise was thunderstruck, and Hadji Hussein begged him to take the +monkey away. + +Next day Hussein was summoned to the court, the case of Ben Moise was +heard, and the Hadji was ordered to return the child at once. This he +vowed he could not do, and to convince the judges he offered to bring +the monkey caged as it was to the court, and, Inshallah, they would +see for themselves that the child of the Jew had been converted into a +monkey. This was ultimately agreed to, and the monkey was brought. +Hadji Hussein took special care to place the cage opposite Ben Moise, +and no sooner did the monkey catch sight of him than it set up a +scream, and the judges said: 'Chok shai!' Hussein Agha then opened the +cage door, saying: "Go to your father," and the monkey with a bound +and a yell embraced Ben Moise, putting his head, in search of food, +first on one shoulder of the Jew and then on the other. The judges +were thunderstruck, and declared their incompetency to give judgment +in such a case. Ben Moise protested, saying that it was against the +laws of nature for such a metamorphosis to take place, whereupon Hadji +Hussein told the judges of an analogous instance of some gold pieces +turning into olives, and called upon Ben Moise to witness the veracity +of his statement. The judges, much perplexed, dismissed the case, +declaring that provision had not been made in the law for it, and +there being no precedent to their knowledge they were incompetent to +give judgment. + +Leaving the court, Hadji Hussein informed Ben Moise that there would +still be pleasure and happiness in this world for him, provided he +could reconvert the olives into gold. Needless to add that Ben Moise +handed the money to Hadji Hussein, and the heir of Ben Moise returned +to his home none the worse for his transformation. + + + + +THE CALIF OMAR + + +The Calif Omar, one of the first Califs after the Prophet, is deeply +venerated to this day, and is continually quoted as a lover of truth +and justice. Often in the face of appalling evidence he refrained from +judgment, thus liberating the innocent and punishing the guilty. The +following is given as an example of his perseverance in fathoming a +murder. + +At the feast of the Passover, a certain Jew of Bagdad had sacrificed +his sheep and was offering up his prayers, when suddenly a dog came +in, and snatching up the sheep's head ran off with it. The Jew pursued +in hot haste, in his excitement still carrying the bloody knife and +wearing his besmeared apron. The dog, carrying the sheep's head, +rushed into an open doorway, followed closely by the Jew. The Jew in +his hurried pursuit fell over the body of what proved to be a murdered +man. The murder was laid against the Jew, and witnesses swore that +they had seen him coming out of the house covered with blood, and in +his hand a bloody dagger. The Jew was arrested and tried, but with +covered head he swore by his forefathers and children that he was +innocent. Omar would not condemn him as none of the witnesses had seen +the Jew do the deed, and until further evidence had been given to +prove his guilt the case was adjourned. Spies and detectives, unknown +to anybody, were put to track the murderers. After a time they were +discovered, condemned, put to death, and the Jew liberated. + + + + +KALAIDJI AVRAM OF BALATA + + +Balata, situated on the Golden Horn, is mostly inhabited by Jews of +the poorer classes, who make their livelihood as tinsmiths, tinkers, +and hawkers. + +Here, in the early days when the Janissaries flourished, there lived a +certain tinsmith called Kalaidji Avram. Having rather an extensive +business, his neighbors, especially those who lived nearest, were +always complaining of the annoying smoke and disagreeable odor of +ammonia which he used in tinning his pots and pans. + +Opposite Avram's place the village guard-house was situated, and the +chief, a Janissary, often had disputes with Avram about the smoke. +Avram would invariably reply: "I have my children to feed and I must +work; and without smoke I cannot earn their daily bread." + +The Janissary, much annoyed, cultivated a dislike for Avram and a +thirst for revenge. + +It happened that a Jew one day came to the Janissary and said to him: +"Do you want to make a fortune? if so, you have the means of doing +this, provided you will agree to halve with me whatever is made." + +The Janissary, on being assured that he had but to say a word or two +to a person he would designate and the money would be forthcoming, +accepted the conditions. The Jew then said: "All you have to do is to +go up to a Jewish funeral procession that will pass by here to-morrow +on its way to the necropolis outside the city, and order it to stop. +It is against the religion of the Jews for such a thing to happen, and +the Chacham (rabbi) will offer you first ten, then twenty, and finally +one hundred and ten thousand piasters to allow the funeral to proceed. +The half will be for you to compensate you for your trouble and the +other fifty-five thousand piasters for me." + +This, as the Jew had told him, seemed very simple to the Janissary. +The next day, true enough, he beheld a funeral, and immediately went +out and ordered it to stop. The Chacham protested, offering first +small bribes, then larger and larger, till ultimately he promised to +bring to the worthy captain one hundred and ten thousand piasters for +allowing the funeral to proceed. + +That evening, as agreed, the Chacham came and handed the money to the +captain of the Janissaries. Then taking another bag containing a +second one hundred and ten thousand piasters, he said: "If you will +tell me who informed you that we would pay so much money rather than +have a funeral stopped, you can have this further sum." + +The Janissary immediately bethought him of Avram, the tinsmith, and +accused him as his informant, and the Chacham, satisfied, paid the sum +and departed. + +Avram disappeared nobody knew where. The Chacham said that death had +taken him for his own as a punishment for stopping him while on a +journey. + +The accomplice of the Janissary came a few days later for his share of +the money. The Janissary handed him the fifty-five thousand piasters, +and at the same time said: "Of these fifty-five thousand piasters, +thirty thousand must be given to the widow and children of Avram, and +I advise you to give it willingly, for Avram has taken your place." + + + + +HOW MEHMET ALI PASHA OF EGYPT ADMINISTERED JUSTICE + + +A Jewish merchant was in the habit of borrowing, and sometimes of +lending money to an Armenian merchant of Cairo. Receipts were never +exchanged, but at the closing of an old account or the opening of a +new one they would simply say to each other, I have debited or +credited you in my books, as the case might be, with so much. + +On one occasion the Armenian lent the Jew the sum of twenty-five +thousand piasters, and after the usual verbal acknowledgment the +Armenian made his entry. A reasonable time having elapsed, the +Armenian sent his greetings to the Jew. This, in Eastern etiquette, +meant, 'Kindly pay me what you owe.' The Jew, however, did not take +the hint but returned complimentary greetings to the Armenian. This +was repeated several times. Finally, the Armenian sent a message +requesting the Jew to call upon him. The Jew, however, told the +messenger to inform the Armenian merchant, that if he wished to see +him, he must come to his house. The Armenian called upon the Jew, and +requested payment of the loan. The Jew brought out his books and +showed the Armenian that he was both credited and debited with the sum +of twenty-five thousand piasters. The Armenian protested, but in vain; +the Jew maintained that the debt had been paid. + +In the hope of recovering his money, the Armenian had the case brought +before Mehmet Ali Pasha of Egypt, a clever and learned judge. No +witnesses, however, could be cited to prove that the money had either +been borrowed or repaid. The entries were verified, and it was thought +that perhaps the Armenian had forgotten. Before dismissing the case, +however, Mehmet Ali Pasha called in the Public Weigher and ordered +that both the Armenian and Jewish merchants be weighed. This done, +Mehmet Ali Pasha took note of their respective weights. The Jew +weighed fifty okes and the Armenian sixty okes. He then discharged +them, saying that he would send for them later on. + +The Armenian waited patiently for a month or two, but no summons came +from the Pasha. Every Friday he endeavored to meet the Pasha so as to +bring the case to his mind, but without avail; for the Pasha, +perceiving him from a distance, would turn away his head or otherwise +purposely avoid catching his eye. At last, after about eight months of +anxious waiting, the Armenian and the Jew were summoned to appear +before the court. Mehmet Ali Pasha, in opening the case, called in the +Public Weigher and had them weighed again. On this occasion it was +found that the Armenian had decreased, now only weighing fifty okes, +for worry makes a man grow thin; but the Jew, on the contrary, had put +on several okes. These facts were gravely considered, and the Pasha +accused the Jew of having received the money and at once ordered the +brass pot to be heated and placed on his head to force confession. The +Jew did not care to submit to this fearful ordeal, so he confessed +that he had not repaid the debt, and had to do so then and there. + + + + +HOW THE FARMER LEARNED TO CURE HIS WIFE--A TURKISH AESOP + + +There once lived a farmer who understood the language of animals. He +had obtained this knowledge on condition that he would never reveal +its possession, and with the further provision that should he prove +false to his oath the penalty would be certain death. + +One day he chanced to listen to a conversation his ox and his horse +were having. The ox had just come in from a weary and hard day's work +in the rain. + +"Oh," sighed the ox, looking over to the horse, "how fortunate you are +to have been born a horse and not an ox. When the weather is bad you +are kept in the stable, well fed, groomed every morning, and caressed +every evening. Oh that I were a horse!" + +"What you say is true," replied the horse, "but you are very stupid to +work so hard." + +"You do not know what it is to be goaded with a spear and howled at, +or you would not accuse me of being stupid to work so hard," replied +the ox. + +"Then why don't you feign sickness," continued the horse. + +On the following day the ox determined to try this deceit, but he was +stung with remorse when he saw the horse led out to take his place at +the plough. In the evening, when the horse was brought to the stable +very tired, the ox sympathized with him, and regretted his being the +cause, but at the same time expressed astonishment at his working so +hard. + +"Ah, my friend, I had to work hard; I can't bear the whip; the thought +of the hideous crack! crack! makes me shiver even now," answered the +horse. + +"But leaving that aside, my poor horned friend," proceeded the horse, +"I am now most anxious for you. I heard the master say to-night that +if you were not well in the morning, the butcher was to come and +slaughter you." + +"You need not worry about me, friend horse," said the ox, "as I much +prefer the yoke to chewing the cud of self-reproach." + +At this point the farmer left the animals and entered his home, +smiling at his own wily craft in re-establishing, if not +contentedness, at least resignation to their fate, in the stable. +Meeting his wife, she at once inquired as to the cause of his happy +smile. He put her off, first with one excuse then with another, but to +no avail; the more he protested, the stronger her inquisitiveness +grew. Her unsatisfied curiosity at length made her ill. The endeavors +of the numerous doctors brought to her assistance were as futile as +the incantations of the sages from far and near, and as powerless to +remove the spell as were the amulets, the charms, and the abracadabras +conceived and written by holy men. The evil prompting gnawed her, and +she visibly pined away. The poor farmer was distracted. Rather than +see her die, he at last decided to tell her, and forfeit his own life +to save hers. Deeply dejected, for no man quits this planet without a +pang, he sat at the window gazing, as he thought, for the last time on +the familiar surroundings. Of a sudden he noticed his favorite +chanticleer, followed by his numerous harem, sadly strutting about, +only allowing his favorites to eat the morsels he discovered, and +ruthlessly driving the others away. To one he said: "I am not like our +poor master, to be ruled by one or a score of you. He, poor man, will +die to-day for revealing his secret knowledge to save her life." + +"What is the secret knowledge?" asked one of the wives; and the +chanticleer flew at her and thrashed her mercilessly, saying at each +vigorous blow, "That is the secret, and if our master only treated the +mistress as I treat you, he would not need to give up his life +to-day." + +And as if maddened at the thought, he beat them all in turn. The +master, seeing and appreciating the effect from the window, went to +his wife and treated her in precisely the same manner. And this +effected what neither doctors, sages, nor holy men could do--it cured +her. + + + + +THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS + + +There once lived a Hodja who, it was said, understood the language of +birds, but refused to impart his knowledge. One young man was very +persistent in his desire to know the language of these sweet +creatures, but the Hodja was inflexible. + +In despair, the young man went to the woods at least to listen to the +pleasant chirping of the birds. By degrees it conveyed to him a +meaning, till, finally, he understood them to tell him that his horse +would die. On returning from the woods, he immediately sold his horse +and went and told the Hodja. + +"Oh Hodja, why will you not teach me the language of birds? Yesterday +I went to the woods and they warned me that my horse would die, thus +affording me an opportunity of selling it and avoiding the loss." + +The Hodja was silent, but would not give way. + +The following day the young man again went to the woods, and the +chirping of the birds told him that his house would be burned. The +young man hurried away, sold his house, again went to the Hodja and +told him all that had happened, adding: + +"See, Hodja Effendi, you would not teach me the language of the birds, +but I have saved my horse and my house by listening to them." + +On the following day, the young man again went to the woods, and the +birds chirped him the doleful tale, that on the following day he would +die. In tears the young man went to the Hodja for advice. + +"Oh Hodja Effendi! Alas! What am I to do? The birds have told me that +to-morrow I must die." + +"My son," answered the Hodja, "I knew this would come, and that is +why I refused to teach you the language of birds. Had you borne the +loss of your horse, your house would have been saved, and had your +house been burned, your life would have been saved." + + + + +THE SWALLOW'S ADVICE + + +A man one day saw a swallow and caught it. The bird pleaded hard for +liberty, saying: + +"If thou wilt let me go, thy gain will be great, for I will give thee +three counsels that will hereafter be of use to thee." + +The man listened to the bird and let it go. Flying to a tree close by +it perched on a branch, and said: + +"Hearken and give thine ear to the three advices that will guide thee. +The first is, do not believe things that are incredible; the second +is, do not attempt to stretch out thine hand to a place thou art +unable to reach; and the third advice I give thee is, do not pine +after a thing that is past and gone. Take these my counsels and do not +forget them." + +The bird then tempted the man, saying: "Inside of me there is a large +pearl of great value; it is both magnificent and splendid, and as +large as the egg of a kite." + +Now, hearing this, the man repented at having let the bird go, the +color of his face went to sadness, and he at once stretched out his +hand to catch the swallow, but the latter said to the foolish man: + +"What! Hast thou already forgotten the advice I gave thee, and the lie +which I told thee, hast thou considered as true? I had fallen into thy +hands, yet thou wert unable to retain me, and now thou art sorrowing +for the past for which there is no remedy." + +Such are those that worship idols, and give the name of God to their +own handiwork. They have left aside God Almighty, and have forgotten +the Great Bestower of all good gifts. + + + + +WE KNOW NOT WHAT THE DAWN MAY BRING FORTH + + +In the age of the Janissaries the Minister of War, in all haste, +called the chief farrier of the Army and ordered him to have made +immediately two hundred thousand horseshoes. The farrier was aghast, +and explained that to make such a quantity of horseshoes, both time +and smiths would be required. The Minister replied: + +"It is the order of his Majesty that these two hundred thousand +horseshoes be ready by to-morrow; if not, your head will pay the +penalty." + +The poor farrier replied, that knowing now that he was doomed he would +be unable, through nervousness, to make even a fifth of the number. +The Minister would not listen to reason, and left in anger, +reiterating the order of his Majesty. + +The farrier retired to his rooms deeply dejected. His wife, +woman-like, endeavored to encourage and comfort him, saying: + +"Cheer up, husband, drink your raki, eat your meze, and be cheerful, +for we know not what the dawn may bring forth." + +"Ah!" said the farrier, "the dawn will not bring forth two hundred +thousand horseshoes, and my head will pay the penalty." + +Late that night there was a tremendous knocking at his door. The poor +farrier thought that it was an inquiry as to how many horseshoes were +already made, and trembling with fear went and opened the door. What +was his surprise, when on opening the door and inquiring the object of +the visit, to be greeted with: + +"Haste, farrier, let us have sixteen nails, for the Minister of War +has been suddenly removed to Paradise by the hand of Allah." + +The farrier gathered, not sixteen but forty nails of the best he had, +and, handing them to the messenger, said: + +"Nail him down well, friend, so that he will not get up again, for had +not this happened, the nails would have been required to keep me in my +coffin." + + + + +OLD MEN MADE YOUNG + + +In Psamatia, an ancient Armenian village situated near the Seven +Towers, there lived a certain smith, whose custom it was, in +contradiction to prescribed rules, to curse the devil and his works +regularly five times a day instead of praying to God. He argued that +it is the devil's fault that man had need to pray. The devil was +angered at being thus persistently cursed, and decided to punish the +smith, or at least prevent his causing further trouble. + +Taking the form of a young man he went to the smith and engaged +himself as an apprentice. After a time the devil told the smith that +he had a very poor and mean way of earning a living, and that he would +show him how money was to be made. The smith asked what he, a young +apprentice, could do. Thereupon the devil told him that he was endowed +with a great gift: the power to make old men young again. Though +incredulous, after continued assurance the smith allowed a sign to be +put above his door, stating that aged people could here be restored to +youth. This extraordinary sign attracted a great many, but the devil +asked such high prices that most went away, preferring age to parting +with so much money. + +At last one old man agreed to pay the sum demanded by the devil, +whereupon he was promptly cast into the furnace, the master-smith +blowing the bellows for a small remuneration. After a time of vigorous +blowing the devil raked out a young man. The fame of the smith +extended far and wide, and many were the aged that came to regain +their youth. This lucrative business went on for some time, and at +last the smith, thinking to himself that it was not a difficult thing +to throw a man into the furnace and rake him out from the ashes +restored to youth, decided to do away with his apprentice's services, +but kept the sign above the door. + +It happened that the captain of the Janissaries, who was a very aged +man, came to him, and after bargaining for a much more modest sum than +his apprentice would have asked, the smith thrust him into the furnace +as the devil, his apprentice, used to do, and worked at the bellows. +He afterwards raked in the fire for the young man but he only raked +out cinders and ashes. Great was his consternation, but what could he +do? + +The devil in the meantime went to the head of the Janissaries and the +police, and informed them of what had taken place. The poor smith was +arrested, tried, and condemned to be bowstrung, as it was proved that +the Janissary was last seen to enter his shop. + +Just as the smith was about to be executed, the devil again appeared +before him in the form of the discharged apprentice, and asked him if +he wished to be saved; if so, that he could save him, but on one +condition only,--that he ceased from cursing the devil five times a +day and pray as other Mussulmans prayed. He agreed. Thereupon the +apprentice called in a loud voice to those who were about to execute +him: "What will you of this man? He has not killed the Janissary; he +is not dead, for I have just seen him entering his home." This was +found to be true, and the smith was liberated, learning the truth of +the proverb, 'Curse not even the devil.' + + + + +THE BRIBE + + +There once lived in Stamboul a man and wife who were so well mated +that though married for a number of years their life was one of ideal +harmony. This troubled the devil very much. He had destroyed the peace +of home after home; he had successfully created, between husband and +wife, father and son and brothers, the chasm of envy wide and deep, so +wide that the bridge of life could not span the gap. In this one +little home alone did he fail in spite of his greatest endeavor. One +day the devil was talking to an old woman, when the man who had thus +far baffled him passed by. The devil groaned at the thought of his +repeated failures. Turning to the old woman he said: + +"I will give you as a reward a pair of yellow slippers if you make +that man quarrel with his wife." + +The old woman was delighted, and at once began to scheme and work for +the coveted slippers. At an hour when she was sure to find the lady +alone, she went and solicited alms, weeping and bemoaning her sad fate +at being a lonely old woman whose husband was long since dead. She +appealed to the lady for compassion in proportion as she hoped for the +duration of the cup she and her husband quaffed in undivided +happiness. The lady was very generous to the old woman, each day +giving her something; so much so, that the thought that her good +husband might think her extravagant often gave her some uneasiness. + +One day the old woman looked into the shop-door of her benefactress's +husband and planted the first evil seed by calling out: + +"Ah! if men only knew where the money they work for from morning till +night goes, or knew what their wives did when they were away, some +homes would not be so happy." + +The evil woman then went her way, and the good shopman wondered why +she had said these words to him. A passing thought suggested that it +was strange that of late his wife had asked him several times for a +few extra piasters. The next day, the old woman as usual solicited +alms of her victim. In the fulness of her hypocrisy she embraced the +young lady before departing, taking care to leave the imprint of her +blackened hand on her dupe's back. The old woman then again went to +the shop, looked at her victim's husband, and said: + +"Oh! how blind men are! They only look in a woman's face for truth and +loyalty; they forget to look at the back where the stamp of the +lover's hand is to be seen." + +As before, the old woman disappeared. But the mind of the shopman was +troubled and his heart was heavy. In this oppressed state he went to +his home, and an opportunity offering he looked at his wife's back, +and was aghast to see there the impression of a hand. He got up and +left his home, a broken-hearted man. + +The devil was deeply impressed at the signal success of the old woman, +and hastened to redeem his promise. He took a long pole, tied the pair +of slippers at the end, and hurried off to the old woman. Arriving at +her house he called out to her to open the window. When she did this, +he thrust in the pair of yellow slippers, begging her to take them, +but not to come near him; they were hard-earned slippers, he said; she +had succeeded where he had failed; so that he was afraid of her and +was anxious to keep out of her way. + + + + +HOW THE DEVIL LOST HIS WAGER + + +A peasant, ploughing his field, was panting with fatigue, when the +devil appeared before him and said: + +"Oh, poor man! you complain of your lot, and with justice; for your +labor is not that of a man, but is as heavy as that of a beast of +burden. Now I have made a wager that I shall find a contented man; so +give me the handle of your plough and the goad of your oxen, that I +may do the work for you." + +The peasant consenting, the devil touched the oxen and in one turn of +the plough all the furrows of the field were opened up and the work +finished. + +"Is it well done?" asked the devil. + +"Yes," replied the man, "but seed is very dear this year." + +In answer to this, the devil shook his long tail in the air, and lo, +little seeds began to fall like hail from the sky. + +"I hope," said the devil, "that I have gained my wager." + +"Bah," answered the peasant, "what's the good of that? These seeds +might be lost. You do not take into consideration frost, blighting +winds, drought, damp, storms, diseases of plants, and other things. +How can I judge as yet?" + +"Behold," said the devil, "in this box are both sun and rain, take it +and use it as you please." + +The peasant did so and to very good purpose, for his corn soon ripened +and up to that time he had never seen so good a harvest. But the corn +of his neighbors had also prospered from the rain and sun. + +At harvest time the devil came, and saw that the man was looking with +envious eyes at his neighbor's fields where the corn was as good as +his own. + +"Have you been able to obtain what you desired?" asked the devil. + +"Alas!" answered the man, "all the barns will break down under the +weight of the sheaves. The grain will be sold at a low price. This +fine harvest will make me sit on ashes." + +While he was speaking, the devil had taken an ear of corn from the +ground and was crushing it in his hand, and as soon as he blew on the +grains they all turned into pure gold. The peasant took up one and +examined it attentively on all sides, and then in a despairing tone +cried out: "Oh, my God! I must spend money to melt all these and send +them to the mint." + +The devil wrung his hands in despair. He had lost his wager. He could +do everything, but he could not make a contented man. + + + + +THE EFFECTS OF RAKI + + +Bekri Mustafe, who lived during the reign of Sultan Selim, was a +celebrated toper, and perhaps at that time the only Moslem drunkard in +Turkey. Consequently, he was often the subject of conversation in +circles both high and low. It happened that his Majesty the Sultan had +occasion to speak to Bekri one day, and he asked him what pleasure he +found in drinking so much raki, and why he disobeyed the laws of the +Prophet. Bekri replied that raki was a boon to man; that it made the +deaf to hear, the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the poor rich, +and that he, Bekri, when drunk, could hear, see, and walk like two +Bekris. The Sultan, to verify the truth of this statement, sent his +servants into the highways to bring four men, the one blind, the +other deaf, the third lame, and the fourth poor. Directly these were +brought, his Majesty ordered raki to be served to them in company with +Bekri. They had not been drinking long when, to the glory of Bekri, +the deaf man said: "I hear the sound of great rumbling." + +And the blind man replied: "I can see him; it is an enemy who seeks +our destruction." + +The lame man asked where he was, saying, "Show him to me, and I will +quickly despatch him." + +And the poor man called out: "Don't be afraid to kill him; I've got +his blood money in my pocket." + +Just then a funeral happened to pass by the Palace buildings, and +Bekri got up and ordered the solemn procession to stop. Removing the +lid of the coffin, he whispered a few words into the ear of the dead +man, and then putting his ear to the dead man's mouth, vented an +exclamation of surprise. He then ordered the funeral to proceed, and +returned to the Palace. + +The Sultan asked him what he had said to the dead man, and what the +dead man replied. + +"I simply asked him where he was going and from what he had died, and +he replied he was going to Paradise, and that he had died from +drinking raki without a meze." + +Whereupon the Sultan understanding what he wanted, ordered that the +meze should be immediately served. + + + + + ON THE FACE OF THE WATERS. + + By FLORA ANNIE STEEL, + _Author of "Miss Stuart's Legacy," "Flower of Forgiveness," + "Red Rowans," "Tales from the Punjab," etc., etc._ + + 12mo. Cloth. $1.50. + + "We have read Mrs. Steel's book with ever-increasing surprise + and admiration. It is the most wonderful picture. We know + that none who lived through the mutiny will lay it down + without a gasp of admiration, and believe that the same + emotion will be felt by thousands to whom the scenes depicted + are but lurid phantasmagoria."--_The Spectator._ + + + + + TALES OF THE PUNJAB + + TOLD BY THE PEOPLE. + + By MRS. F. A. STEEL. + + With Illustrations by J. LOCKWOOD KIPLING, C.I.E., and Notes + by R. C. TEMPLE. + + 16mo. Cloth, Gilt. $2.00. + + "A book that will be welcomed no less eagerly by the children + than by students of folklore from a scientific standpoint is + Mrs. Steel's collection of Indian stories, entitled 'Tales of + the Punjab.' They were taken down by her from the very lips + of the natives in some of the most primitive districts in + India. Yet these tales, handed down solely by word of mouth + from one generation to another, could hardly be distinguished + from those in a Teutonic collection like that of the Brothers + Grimm; and even closer examination serves only to impress + upon us more strongly than ever before the unity of the great + Indo-European family of nations."--_Nashville Banner._ + + + + + UNIFORM EDITION OF THE STORIES AND POEMS + OF RUDYARD KIPLING. + + Seven Volumes. 12mo. Cloth. $1.25 each. + + + PLAIN TALES FROM THE HILLS. + + "Mr. Kipling knows and appreciates the English in India, and + is a born story-teller and a man of humor into the + bargain.... It would be hard to find better reading."--_The + Saturday Review, London._ + + + THE LIGHT THAT FAILED. + + "'The Light that Failed' is an organic whole--a book with a + backbone--and stands out boldly among the nerveless, flaccid, + invertebrate things that enjoy an expensive but ephemeral + existence in the circulating libraries."--_The Athenaeum._ + + + LIFE'S HANDICAP. + + Stories of Mine Own People. + + "No volume of his yet published gives a better illustration + of his genius, and of the weird charm which has given his + stories such deserved popularity."--_Boston Daily Traveler._ + + + THE NAULAHKA. + + A Story of East and West. + + By RUDYARD KIPLING and WOLCOTT BALESTIER. + + "What is the most surprising, and at the same time most + admirable in this book, is the manner in which Mr. Kipling + seems to grasp the character of the native women; we know of + nothing in the English language of its kind to compare with + chapter xx. in its delicacy and genuine sympathy." + + + UNDER THE DEODARS, THE PHANTOM 'RICKSHAW, + AND WEE WILLIE WINKIE. + + With additional matter, now published for the first time. + + + SOLDIERS THREE, THE STORY OF THE GADSBYS, + and BLACK AND WHITE. + + Also together with additional matter. + + + BALLADS AND BARRACK-ROOM BALLADS. + + "Mr. Kipling differs from other ballad-writers of the day in + that he has that rare possession, imagination, and he has the + temerity to speak out what is in him with no conventional + reservations or deference to the hypocrisies of public + opinion."--_Boston Beacon._ + + + + THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, + 66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK. + + + + + TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES + + +1. Passages in italics are surrounded by _underscores_. + +2. Other than the corrections listed below, printer's inconsistencies +in spelling, punctuation, hyphenation and ligature usage have been +retained: + "to-morrrow" corrected to "to-morrow" (page 158) + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Told in the Coffee House, by +Cyrus Adler and Allan Ramsay + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOLD IN THE COFFEE HOUSE *** + +***** This file should be named 30577.txt or 30577.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/0/5/7/30577/ + +Produced by Ritu Aggarwal and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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