SOME CURRENT PERSIAN TALES. 383 



them into it. The opium-fellow, with his hand over his mouth and nostrils, kept pressing 

 the flour down under him : as fast as the women poured in the flour he trampled it down. 

 All of a sudden the jar burst, and the ill-starred opium-smoker fell out smothered 

 in white flour. At first they thought he was a jinn. All were startled. The husband 

 said, " Unmannerly fellow ! Whence came you hither and what do you want ? " The 

 fellow said, " I came in company with my master." "Which particular dog happens 

 to be your master ? " " He is in that jar." Now the lady begins to stare. Her husband 

 lifted a pick and banged it in the middle of the jar. Out came another buck-man. The 

 husband said, "Dash, dash, dash! 1 Now where have you come from?" The 

 lover chap said, " I lost my way and came into the house. I thought someone would 

 guide me. You arrived behind me, so through fear I came here for shelter." The 

 husband and lover gripped each other by the throat and hair, and began to bang and 

 belabour each other with all their might. In the midst of the confusion off went our 

 opium-smoker. Outside he shook off the flour. " Oh God ! " said he, " to-day thou 

 hast given me a strange portion for daily bread." He was just going to cross over the 

 street when he sniffed the savour of sweet cakes. Hunger overcame him and he said 

 to himself, " Come, let me enter this house. If I get a beating I don't care a curse ; 

 I shall at least get something to eat." He entered. He saw a woman sitting there 

 with a youth by her side, and she was at the same time kissing and cuddling and bak- 

 ing bread. The woman's lover exclaimed, " Ass of a fellow ! dost thou enter people's 

 houses without permission ? Be off, or I'll break your head." Whilst he was speaking 

 the woman's husband entered saying, "Oh yes, how nice! People are all saying my 

 wife is a light-skirt. I did not believe them. Now I have proof. Oh you shrew ! 

 pray, for whom are you baking cakes ? Now I know you have lovers." The woman 

 answered, "It's for these poor strangers 2 just arrived. They have no acquaintances 

 in this city." 



The eyes of the opium-smoker had been fastened on the cakes, and he was anxious 

 to get hold of them and go off. He said to the husband, " Man ! you have a rare and 

 noble wife. May you never lose her." Saying this he began to gather up the cakes. 

 By a gesture the woman asked him where he was carrying them. He signalled back, 

 " Keep silence ! I'll keep them with me till your husband goes away." Carrying' the 

 cakes in his arms he very slowly backed away till he reached the door, when he made 

 off. He hastened to his companions and said, "Hie, you rascals! 3 I have endured 

 many dangers to get these cakes. To-morrow it is the turn of Thin-beard." The 

 latter replied, " Very well ; to-night let merest, to-morrow I'll tell you what trick 

 I'll play." 



Thin-beard rose early and said to his friend, "Take me to the Takht-i-F.ulad, lay TheThin- 

 me down in a bier, and draw a sheet over my face. Do one of you sit at my head and Kusa's 

 one at my feet, and cease not slapping your heads and faces and wailing, 'Alas my poor 



1 Fuliin fulan shuia, lit. " You who have become so and so" : a polite substitute for a filthy torrent of abuse." 



2 To help strangers is a meritorious act. 



3 Nd-najib, lit. " ignoble." A father will say to his small son, Ay nd-najlb chi shaitanat ml-kunl, " What mischief are you 

 up to, naughty boy ?" 



