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Vol. 171, No. 10.] Some Folk-Tales from Unzramnvt 659 



[N.S.'] 



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means of it, and with the other strip he coupled the necks of the 

 oxen, Wh'-n he had ploughed a first, a second, and athiid furrow, 

 the oxen died. AhuNu^ffs then went to the owner of the oxen, who 

 said to him, ''Have you done it?" . "Yes," said J/)fi Nu^ns.^ 

 "And where are the oxen ? *' .'*The oxen are ori .the field plot." 

 The owner went to the field and found the oxen dead. He 

 returned and went up to Ahu Nu^as and abused him freely. Said 

 Abu Nn^as, " If you are angry, let me have the hundred dollars as 

 agreed between us, and I'll depart." Said the other, " No, . I'll 

 give you another job " " All right/' said Ahu Nu^os. Then the 

 Syriar^ ssud to him, '' Come np with me to my room, and I'll show 

 yon what to do," AbuNu^ns w^nt up with him. Now the owner 

 of the oxen had a wife, who was then grinding some com below. 

 So he went down to his wife and said to her, '* If Ahu Nitons comes 

 to you, and tells yon to keep quiet, d<m'fc keep quiet." *'A11 

 right,'* she said. He then went up to Ahil Nu^os and said to him, 

 " Go down and silence that woman. ^ If she stops, I will give you 

 the two hundred dollars," "Very well,'* said Ahu Nu^os. He' 

 went down and fouiid the woman singing. He said to her, *'Keep 

 quiet." She said, *' I won't." As she wouldn't listen, he went up 

 to her, took some flour in his hand and stuffed it into her mouth 

 and nostrils. The woman died. He then went up to the woman's 

 husband and found him sitting there. The latter said to him, 

 "Have you silenced her ? " He said, *' Yes." Tlie husband went 

 down and found his wife dead. He came back to Ahu Ntt^ns and 



abnspd him even more than i>efore. Ahii Nn^as SJiid, " Don't abnse 

 me; if you are angry, give me my mon»^y and I'll ^oV The 

 Syrian said, " N'o, I am not angry; I'll give you another job." 

 AhuNu^as said, " Very well." The other said, "Stay here until 

 I show you what to do." At night the rain began to fall. Then 

 the SyiMan roused Ahu Nn^os and said to him, " Go down and put 

 the heads of the sheep ' under cover." *' All riglit," said Abu Nti^as. 

 He then went down to where the sheep were, cut off their heads, 

 brought the heads and put them in the pen, and then wetit up to 

 the owner. The latter said to him, '' Well, did you put the heads 

 of sheep under shelter ? " " Yes," he said. The owner went down 

 to see for himself. He found all the sheep slaughtered. He went 

 b'rick to Abu Nn^as and abused hira roundly. Said Abu Nu^as, 

 " If you are angry, let me have my money and get rid of me." The 

 Syrian said. "And could I have greater cfiuse f<»r anger?" 

 So he brought out the keys of his closet, opened it, and gave 

 Ahu Nu^as four hundred dollars. Ahu Nu^as took them and 

 went back to Taman. . 



XV. 



Story of the Ladder, the Flute and this Cat. 



- - 1 



A certain man died, leaving three sons. His only property 

 con.si^ted of a ladder, a flute and a cat. The sons divided this 



f 



i She would naf.nrally be singini^ while griniiing the corn. 



^ " Tho heads of the sheep " ia an Arabic idiom for " the sheep." 



