SOME CURRENT PERSIAN TALES. 391 



The woman said, " Muham Ja'far is the son of the Kat-khuda of this village, and for 

 two years he has been in love with me, but union has not been possible. To-day there 

 was a wedding in the fort. When he was starting for the city to buy the necessaries for 

 the wedding I told him that, if he would bring me six yards of chintz for a petticoat and 

 a pair of green shagreen shoes, and give them to me that night, I would accede to his 

 wishes." At sunset he returned from the city and showed me the shoes and the cloth, 

 telling me that he would give them to me in the evening and attain his desire. I was 

 wandering about in search of him when I lighted upon you — and this house, too, is my 

 own, and since evening up till now I've searched in vain for Muham Ja'far. Now tell 

 me and let me know who you are." 



The man said, " I am Haji Husain of Isfahan and I was on my way to the tent-folk 

 of Haidar 'All Khan's tribe to gather revenue, when night fell, and I was overtaken by 

 a snow-storm, and lost my way. So I entered the fort and there I happened to meet 

 you." 



The woman said, " I am a respectable woman. For the sake of God, don't tell." 

 The man said, " If you will give me rations for the road I will say nothing." 

 The woman went and fetched some bread and butter and gave it to the man. She 

 then went and brought his horse, and the man mounted and went about his business — 

 and now good-bye ; my tale is told. 



V. 

 THE STORY OF THE HAJI OF KHWABJAN : OR, WHO SPEAKS FIRST ? 



There was a Haji of Khwabjan. One day, entering his house, he saw his wife busy 

 about something and said to her, " Wife, get up and water the sheep." She answered, 

 "Are you blind ? Can't you see I'm sewing ? " The man lost his temper and threw a 

 stick he had in his hand in her direction. The woman got up and seizing a snow-shovel 

 heaved it towards the man. " Man ! " said she, " sit down ; let the first of us that speaks 

 go and water the sheep." They both sat down. The woman began to feel bored and 

 upset by the enforced silence ; so she said to herself, " I'll just get up and go and visit a 

 neighbour, and after a chat I'll come back and try and entice the husband into speak- 

 ing." She put on her head-dress and passed in front of the man, hoping that he would 

 ask her where she was going ; but the man said nothing. The woman went off to a 

 neighbour. 



The man, left alone, felt lonely. So he got up and sat in the doorway looking into 

 the street. Presently a man passed by and greeted him. He replied by a sign only, 

 lest his wife might overhear. Another passed and greeted him. He answered in a whis- 

 per for fear lest his wife should be behind the door, or on the top of the roof, and overhear 

 him. Next came a barber and he put his mirror into the Haji's hand. 1 The Haji looked 

 in the glass and returned it to the barber. The barber said, " Shall I shave your head ? " 

 The Haji said nothing for fear lest his wife should overhear him. The barber, taking 

 silence for consent, tucked his sheet round the man's neck. The man thought, " If I 



I Vide note 23, page 408. 



