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." 



" I 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 senora 

 Una cartzo bouil canta 

 Be, be, be, be. 



No sera gaira pulida 

 Nose" si vos agradara 

 Be, be, 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. 



