THE GIFT OF TONGUES. 45 
And this information happily was found to agree with 
that of the passport. 
“ You are as much from Schwekat as I am,” answered 
the judge. “ You are Spanish, and, moreover, a Spaniard 
from the kingdom of Valencia, as I perceive by your 
accent.” 
“ Would you punish me, sir, because nature has en- 
dowed me with the gift of languages? I learn with 
facility the dialects of those countries through which I 
pass in the exercise of my trade; I have learnt, for ex- 
ample, the dialect of Iviza.” 
“ Very well, you shall be taken at your word. I see 
here a soldier from Iviza; you shall hold a conversation 
with him.” 
“TJ consent; I will even sing the goat song.” 
Each of the verses of this song (if verses they be) 
terminates by an imitation of the bleating of the goat. 
I commenced at once, with an audacity at which I 
really feel astonished, to chant this air, which is sung by 
all the shepherds of the island. 
Ah graciada sefiora 
Una canzo bouil canta 
Bé, bé, bé, be. 
No sera gaira pulida 
Nosé si vos agradara 
Bé, bé, be, be. - 
At once my Ivizacan, upon whom this air had the 
effect of the ranz des vaches on the Swiss, declared, all in 
tears, that I was a native of Iviza. 
I then said to the judge that if he would put me in 
communication with a person knowing the French lan- 
guage, he would arrive at just as embarrassing a result. 
