The Turkish Jester | Page 4

the Cogia. 'Why, are we not going to remove hither to- day?'
One day certain individuals stole from the Cogia a sum of money, whereupon the Cogia said, 'O Lord, what need have you that you give my money to others.' So he made a dreadful outcry, and going into the mosque, wept until it was morning, groaning like a ship labouring in the sea. Those who were there said, 'Ye who have found salvation make up a sum of money for the Cogia.' So whosoever had found salvation through the assistance of the Almighty made up what he could, and brought it to the Cogia. Whereupon the Cogia exclaimed, 'Allah, Allah! by lying one night publicly in the mosque and weeping, I have caused Allah to send me my money again.'
One day the Cogia borrowed a cauldron of a brazier, and carrying it home, put a little saucepan into it, and then carrying it back, returned it to its owner. The owner seeing a little saucepan in the cauldron, said, 'What is this?' 'Why,' cried the Cogia, 'the cauldron has borne a child'; whereupon the owner took possession of the saucepan. One day the Cogia asked again for the cauldron, and having obtained it, carried it home. The owner of the cauldron waited one day and even five days for his utensil, but no cauldron coming, he went to the house of the Cogia and knocked at the door. The Cogia coming to the door, said, 'What do you want?' 'The cauldron,' said the man. 'Oh, set your heart at rest,' said the Cogia, 'the cauldron is dead.' 'O Cogia,' said the man, 'can a cauldron die?' 'Oh,' said the Cogia, 'as you believed it could bear a child, why should you not believe that it can die?'
One day the Cogia, walking amongst the sepulchres, saw a large dog lying upon a gravestone. The Cogia, in a great rage laying hold on a stick, aimed a blow at the dog, who in his turn assaulted the Cogia. The Cogia fearing that he should be torn to pieces, said to the dog, 'Get you gone: I conquered. Get you gone.'
One day the Cogia laying hold on a crane, took it home, and saying that its beak and feet were very long, cut them off with a knife; and placing it on a lofty place, said, 'Now you look like a bird.'
One day the Cogia having made his broth very hot, burnt his mouth, and making a great outcry, ran into the street, saying, 'Make way, brothers: there is a fire in my belly.'
A Moolah, who had travelled about Arabia, Persia, Hindustan, and, in a word, the whole seven climes without finding any one who could answer his questions, was told by a man, 'In this country there is a man called Cogia Nasr Eddin, who will answer your questions if any one can.' The Moolah arising, went straight to Belgrade, where he bought an aspre's worth of pomegranates, which he placed in his bosom. Going out of the suburbs of Belgrade, he saw a man going to his labour; now this was the Cogia himself. Going up to him he saw a man like a fakeah, with shoes of raw hide on his feet and a kiebbeh or rough cloak on his back. When he was close by him he said to him, 'Salaam'; and the Cogia saying to him, 'Peace be unto you,' said, 'Moolah Efendi, for what have you come?' The Moolah replied, 'Can you answer a question which I shall ask?' The Cogia said, 'I can.' 'Do you know so-and-so?' The Cogia said, 'I can do nothing without being paid. What will you give me?' The Moolah taking the pomegranates which were in his bosom, gave him one; whereupon the Cogia answered his question, and got all his pomegranates, one by one, till not a single grain remained. The Moolah then said, 'I have yet one question to ask.' The Cogia replied, 'Go your way: don't trouble me. The pomegranates are spent.' Whereupon the Moolah went away, saying, 'If the labourers of Moom are of this description, what must the learned men be?'
One day the Cogia saw a great many ducks playing on the top of a fountain. The Cogia, running towards them, said, 'I'll catch you'; whereupon they all rose up and took to flight. The Cogia, taking a little bread in his hand, sat down on the side of the fountain, and crumbling the bread in the fountain, fell to eating. A person coming up, said, 'What are you eating?' 'Duck broth,' replied the Cogia.
One day the Cogia having bought a liver, was carrying it to his house; suddenly a kite, swooping from above with a loud scream, seized the liver, and flew off with it.