8i* Some Folk-Tales from Hazrammit. 



ILLOTT, Secretary^ Board of 

 Mr. K F. Azoo. Arahic 



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[A first series of these stories was pnblisheri in the Journal and Proceedings 

 of the Society, Vol. II , No. 9, of 1906. In an introductory note, the 

 origin of these stories and some pecnliarities of the grammar and idiom 

 of the Hazramz dialect, in which they are written, were touched upon.] 



I. 



Story of the Unscrupulous Liar.^ 



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There was once an Arab dwelling lu a village, who was a 

 nuisance to his neighbours, tricking them every day by a lie. On 

 the day our story opeus he came and stood at the foot of 

 the mountain opposite to the pass^ and cried out, ** Flesh, flesh." 

 (Now it is an Arab custom that when a camel breaks down, he 

 that first sees it cries oat ** Flesh'*; the people then collect and the 

 owner of the camel distributes its flesh free and without price). 

 The people heard the cry of the liar, not knowinof that it was he. 

 So they came out to the cry, but the crier returned to the village, 

 and arrived at the village and found it empty. He then took up 

 his basket saying to himself, " Perhaps it*s true." * So he went 

 out and followed the crowd, thus causing needless trouble to 

 himself and others. It has now become an Arab proverb, " He 

 cries 'Flesh,* and he says * Perhaps it's true* " j meaning that a man 

 puts people on a false scent about something to be gained and 

 then says, " Perhaps they really are getting something." 



The Story of the Bedouin Thieves and the Poor Villagers. 



There was a village of Hazraraaut peopled by harmless* people, 

 and there were in the neighbourhood Bedouins that used to 

 harass their village. Now, on the particular night of our story,^ 



I Zindtq. * ShVh, 



I A similar story is told of Ask^ah, who was noted for his greediness ; 



Kitdhn~A^dnt, 

 4 Masakin^ the origin of the French me^quin. 



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JOUUl ^ti 



