The Turkish Jester | Page 9

but on seeing the Cogia, it took the ass and went away. A man who saw what happened, cried out, 'There he goes!' Whereupon the Cogia said, 'Hallo, man: why do you cry out? You must not hinder a wolf who has dined from mounting.'
One day as the Cogia was conducting his ass to the market, the tail of the animal becoming draggled with mud, the Cogia cut it off and put it into a sack. Arriving at the market, he put up the ass to auction; and on a person crying out, 'What is the use of this tailless creature?' he said, 'Don't you leave your tail in the desert when you come to market?'
One day as the Cogia was coming from a distant place, his ass chanced to be very thirsty, when {p:278} all of a sudden they arrived at the margin of a pool. Unfortunately, however, the sides of the pool were very steep, and the ass of the Cogia, on seeing the water, not being able to restrain himself, ran forward to the pool. Just as he was falling in, the frogs of the pool began to croak violently; their voices frightening the ass, he ran back. The Cogia, however, seized hold of him, and exclaiming, 'Bravo, ye birds of the pool!' he took out a handful of aspres, and flung them into the pool, saying, 'Here's something for sweetmeats: take and eat.'
In the time of Cogia Nasr Eddin Efendi, three priests, who showed themselves versed in every kind of learning, travelling through the world, at last came to the country of the Soldan Ala Eddin. The Emperor invited them to accept the true faith; whereupon the three said, 'Each one of us has a question to ask, and if you can give us an answer, we will adopt your religion.' All agreed to this condition; and Soldan Ala Eddin having assembled his ulemas and sheiks, not one of them was able to make any reply to the questions of the strangers. The Soldan Ala Eddin was very much incensed and mortified, and exclaimed, 'So there is not one of the ulemas and sheiks in the countries beneath my jurisdiction who can answer these fellows.' Whereupon one of the ulemas replied, 'Though none of us can answer these questions, perhaps Cogia Nasr Eddin Efendi can.' The Emperor, on hearing these words, gave orders to his Tartar {p:279} messengers to go in quest of Nasr Eddin Efendi. The Tartars, with all imaginable speed, went their way, and having found the Cogia, communicated to him the commands of the Sultan. Nasr Eddin, that moment saddling his ass, took his staff in his hand, and mounting the animal, said to the Tartar, 'Lead the way and set off straight for the palace of Soldan Ala Eddin.' On his arrival, he went into the presence of the Emperor, to whom he said, 'Salaam,' and received the same salutation from the Sultan, who, pointing out a place to him, bade him sit down. Said the Cogia to the Emperor, after wishing him a blessing, 'For what may it have pleased you to summon me?' Whereupon the Soldan Ala Eddin told him the whole circumstance. The Cogia forthwith turning to the priests said, 'What are your questions?' Then one of the priests, coming forward, said, 'May it please your Efendiship, my question is this: "Where may the middle of the earth be?"' Thereupon the Cogia, instantly dismounting from his ass, pointed with his staff to the fore foot of the ass, saying, 'The middle of the earth is the spot on which my ass's foot stands.' 'How do you know that?' said the priest. 'If you doubt my words,' said the Cogia, 'take a measure and see whether it comes to more or less.' Another of the priests coming forward said, 'How many stars are there in the face of the heaven above us?' Said the Cogia, 'As many hairs as there are upon my ass so many stars are there in the heaven.' 'How do you know?' said the priest. {p:280} 'If you doubt,' said the Cogia, 'come and count, and if there is any difference, say at once.' 'Have you counted, then,' said the priest, 'the hairs upon your ass?' 'And have you counted how many stars there are?' said the Cogia. Then another priest coming forward said, 'If you can answer my question the whole of us will adopt your religion.' 'Speak,' said the Cogia, 'let us hear it.' 'Tell me, O Cogia,' said the priest, 'how many hairs there are in this beard of mine.' 'Just as many,' said the Cogia, 'as there are hairs in my ass's tail.' 'How do you know?' said the priest. 'Soul of mine,' said the Cogia, 'if you don't believe, come and