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In a week’s time the man called again; but the Khoja had forgotten him, and said, “Who are you?”

“I am the man who brought the hare,” he replied. The Khoja entertained him as before, though the soup was not quite so rich.

After a few days came some men who desired to be guests to the Khoja.

“Who are you?” said he.

“We are neighbours of the man who brought the hare,” said they.

This time the soup was certainly thin, but that did not hinder the arrival of some fresh guests in a very few days.

“Who are you?” said the Khoja.

“We are neighbours of the neighbours of the man who brought the hare,” was the reply.

“You are welcome,” said their host; and he set a bowl of clear water before them.

“What is this, O Khoja?” cried the men.

“It is soup of soup of soup of the hare-soup,” answered the Khoja.

Tale 50.–The Khoja out Fishing.

One day the Khoja accompanied some men who were going a-fishing, and he became much excited in watching the sport.

Suddenly, as they cast the net into the sea, the Khoja threw himself into it.

“What can you be thinking of, Effendi?” cried the fishermen.

“I forgot,” said the Khoja; “I was thinking I was a fish.”

Tale 51.–A Desire Satisfied.

Nasr-ed-Deen Effendi had an old cow with horns so exceedingly broad that one could certainly sit between them if he had a mind to do so.

“I should very much like to try,” the Khoja kept thinking; “I should exceedingly like to sit for once between those horns.”

The notion haunted him, and he kept saying to himself, “I certainly should like it, just for once.”

One day the cow came before the house, and after a while lay down.

“The opportunity has arrived,” cried the Khoja, and running out, he seated himself between the cow’s horns. “It is just as I thought,” said he; but as he spoke the cow got up, and tossed the Khoja violently to the ground.

The Khoja was stunned, and when his wife hastened to the spot she found him lying senseless. After some time he opened his eyes, and perceived his wife weeping near him.

“O wife!” said the Khoja, “weep not; I am not less fortunate than other men. I have suffered for it, but I have had my desire.”

Tale 52.–The Khoja and the Incompetent Barber.

On one occasion the Khoja was shaved by a most incompetent barber. At every stroke the man cut his head with the razor, and kept sticking on bits of cotton to stop the bleeding.

At last the Khoja lost patience.

“That will do,” said he, jumping up: “you’ve sown cotton on half my head, I’ll keep the other half for flax;” and he ran out of the shop with his head half shaved.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: A Khoja is a religious teacher, and sometimes a school-master also.]