658 Journal of the Astatic Society of Bengal, [December, 1907. 



to his friends. They came and he said to them, "So-and-so has 

 killed my son.'* After consulting togefclier they decided to kill the 

 man who had kilh^d the old man's son. 80 twelve fro'n amonor 

 them went to the man, and called to him to come out* As he 

 came out to meet them, thev kdled him : two of them cut hini 

 down with their swords. The friends of the slain man then came 

 and said, '* Who killed So-and-so ? " They said, " The men of such 

 and such a family." The friend.^ then said, ^' Up and at them/* 

 So they had an encounter, and twelve persons were killed, I'hey 

 then separated* After that the old man said to his c<>Tr»panions, 



>» 



they said, '' the young ones will see to this ; since you h^ 

 yourself, they will convey him there." He said, *' I hav 



*' This stranger brought me news about my son, how So-and-so had 

 killed hiTi) ; otherwises my son's blood would have gone unavenged. 

 Now I have bound myselr to convey him to his country, but I am old 

 and want the streng;th to do so. Wi:at say you ? " '' Of course/' 



have bound 

 e pledg'ed 

 my faith to do it." So they sent three men with him. They 

 journeyed on till they pointed out to him the mountains of 

 Hazramant. When he had se^n the mountains, they said, "This 

 is Hazramant ; those a?'e its mountains : now we must return/' He 

 said, '' Very whII, go back/' So they turned back, while the Kiirhz 

 continued on his way to Eazramaut. Now, this is the story of the 

 Kurhi and his companions. 



xiy. 



Another Story of Abu Nu^as 



Ahu Ku^as lived in Yaman.^ Once he journeyed from Yaman 

 to Shnm with a hundred doUais, foe the purpose of trading. On 

 his arrival in Shnm, he met with a certain man. The latter said 



f « ft ■ ■ ■ 



Whence 



8 He said, ''From 



Yaman/' *' And why did you come p " He said, ''1 came to 

 trade/'^ The other said, ''But why trade? I will give you 

 something to do : if you succeed in doing it, I will give you a 

 hundred dollars ; but if you fail to do it, I will take your hundred 

 dollars/' *^ Very well/' said Abu Nu^as. The Syrian said, '* To- 



morrow morning/' Abu Nn^ns said, ''All right/' Next day the 

 Syrian rose and brought a team of oxen to Ahu Nu^as, without 

 any ropes, and also a plough without ropes, and said to him, 

 *'Go with these oxea to my field: if you can work them without 

 ropes^ I will give youahundted doUirs; if you cannot, 1 will take 

 from you the hundred dollars you have." Abu Nu^as sai<J, '' All 

 right/' He then took the oxen and went to the field. Seizing a 

 knife he cut a strip of skin from the nape of one ox up to its tail ; 

 thf-n he went to the other ox and did to it as he had done to its 

 fellow. He then took one of the strips and yoked the plough by 



1 Ahu Nu*ds, tLe famous conrtier of Ildtun''^ W-Bashtd, did not live in 

 Yaman. 



« Lit., " Oh tliou of noble face." 



