394 LlEtJT.-COL, D. C. PHILLOTT : 



man," said she, "if you marry me I will be your handmaid, and as long as I live I 

 will be obedient to you. I wish to be your wife." 



The barber fellow l was delighted. He took the woman with him and they began 

 to journey towards the karavansara. They arrived there when the sun set and the air 

 had turned cold. The barber went into the stable and occupied a place. He then took 

 the woman and gave her a place on the top of the platform. 



As the woman had become very thirsty she got up and went out of the stable. 

 She went under the gateway of the karavansara to the stall of a green-grocer, and 

 bought some par-i alu % and mixing it with water ate a large quantity. 



By chance a Turk turned up. As soon as the Turkish fellow 3 drew near, the barber 

 cried out, " I have my wife with me : go and take your place on the platform opposite." 

 The Turkish fellow went and got a place on another platform and, sitting down, ate 

 his dinner and being tired fell asleep. 



The barber said to the woman, " If to-morrow the Akhund* comes to tie the knot 

 for us — tell me your name that I may know what to say." The girl hung her head and 

 began to cry and said, " My father and mother gave me such a bad name ; I'm ashamed 

 to tell it to you." The barber said, " Tell me, whatever it may be : don't be ashamed." 

 She said, " Man ! in childhood I was unable to contain myself and used always to defile 

 my clothes. Consequently I was called Ridam Khanum. 5 The barber said, " Very 

 well ; Ridam Khanum is a sort of name." They then sat together conversing a little. 

 In about quarter of an hour he said, "Get up and let us go to bed." The woman 

 replied, " Well, speak low that the Turk may not hear us." Saying this she slipped 

 away and hid in the dark. The barber called softly, " Ridam ! " 5 A second time he 

 called " Ridam " ! A third time he called louder, " Oh Ridam ! " The Turk woke up 

 and shouted out, " Kupek ughll, son of a dog ! Not here, I won't endure it." The 

 barber became still. 



The woman then came forward and whispered to the barber, " Man, why did you 

 call me and awake the Turk ? I had merely left the room for a minute." They then 

 began to amuse themselves together till the Turk went to sleep. 



Again the woman got up and slipped off and hid in the dark. The barber felt the 

 ground in all directions, but could not find her. So again he called out " Ridam 

 Khanum." The Turk woke up and threw a stone at the barber and began to curse 

 him, " May the grave of both you and the Khanum be burnt ! If you are a blind 

 man, get up and I'll guide you outside, and bring you back." Again the barber 

 became silent. 



The woman came forward and seizing the barber's skirt whispered, " Oh barber ! 

 for the sake of God, don't make such a noise. Do you want us both to be killed ? 

 Why do you make such a noise ? Get up and spread your 'aba and let us go to sleep." 



1 Dalldkit, dim. tor contempt. 



2 I don't know exactly what par-i-alu is. Her reason for eating this is explained by her subsequent behaviour. 



3 Turka, dim. for contempt. 



+ AHthid is a lesser mull a that performs religious ceremonies but seldom preaches. 

 & Ridam = cacavi. 



