consent,’ said the Cogia, ‘come, let us pluck hair for hair from your beard and from the ass’s tail and see if they don’t tally.’ The priest, seeing that he had the worst of the argument, turned to the way of truth, and forthwith said to his companions, ‘I embrace the faith of Islam,’ and acknowledged the unity of God. The two others also with heart and soul embraced the true faith, and the whole three became servants and disciples of the Cogia.

   Nasr Eddin Efendi one day placed three plums upon a great table and set out in order to carry them as a present to the Bey. On the way the plums chancing to dance on this side and that the Cogia said, ‘I will now eat you until I leave one to dance by itself.’ So the Cogia ate two of the plums, and carrying one upon the table,

   placed it before the Bey, who being very much delighted with the plum which the Cogia brought, presented him with a great deal of money. The Cogia went home, and a few days after, taking a number of beetroots, set out again in order to carry them to the Bey. As he was going along he met an individual, who said to the Cogia, ‘To whom are you carrying those things?’ ‘I am carrying them to the Bey,’ said the Cogia. ‘If you were to carry him some figs instead,’ said the individual, ‘he would like it better.’ The Cogia instantly went and procured a few pounds of figs, which he carried to the Bey, who ordered his attendants to fling them all at his head. Some of the figs striking the Cogia’s head, he forthwith began to cry out, ‘Thank God, thank God!’ ‘How is this, Cogia?’ said they. ‘Why do you thank God?’ ‘I was bringing a great quantity of beetroots,’ said the Cogia, ‘but meeting an individual on the road, he advised me to bring these instead. Now if I had brought beetroots, my head would have been broken.’

   The Cogia going on another day to visit the Bey, the Bey took him out a-hunting, but mounted him on a good-for-nothing horse. As they were hunting, it began to rain; every one escaped by means of his horse, but the good-for-nothing horse would scarcely move. The Cogia forthwith stripping himself naked, took his garments and sat down upon them. No sooner was the rain over, than he got up, and having dressed himself, he went to the Bey. Said the Bey, ‘It

   is a wonder you escaped a wetting.’ Said the Cogia, ‘I was mounted on a horse that was a great goer, he flew away with me so fast that I escaped the rain.’ The Bey believed every word that he said. On another day the Bey again went out a-hunting, but he now rode that same horse himself, whilst the Cogia was mounted on another; now it so 

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