An outline of humor: Being a true chronicle from prehistoric ages to the twentieth century
History
An outline of humor: Being a true chronicle from prehistoric ages to the twentieth century
Wit and humor
One day the, Cogia saw a great many ducks playing on the top of a
fountain. The Cogia, running towards them, said, “I’ll catch you”;
whereupon they all rose up and took to flight. The Cogia, taking a
little bread in his hand, sat down on the side of the fountain, and
crumbling the bread in the fountain, fell to eating. A person coming
up, said, “What are you eating?” “Duck broth,” replied the Cogia.
* * * * *
One day the Cogia went with Cheragh Ahmed to the den of a wolf, in
order to see the cubs. Said the Cogia to Ahmed: “Do you go in.” Ahmed
did so. The old wolf was abroad, but presently returning, tried to get
into the cave to its young. When it was about half way in the Cogia
seized hard hold of it by the tail. The wolf in its struggles cast a
quantity of dust into the eyes of Ahmed. “Hallo, Cogia,” he cried,
“What does this dust mean.” “If the wolf’s tail breaks,” said the
Cogia, “You’ll soon see what the dust means.”
* * * * *
One day a thief got into the Cogia’s house. Cries his wife, “O Cogia,
there is a thief in the house.” “Don’t make any disturbance,” says the
Cogia. “I wish to God that he may find something, so that I may take it
from him.”
* * * * *
Cogia Effendi, every time he returned to his house, was in the habit
of bringing a piece of liver, which his wife always gave to a common
woman, placing before the Cogia leavened patties to eat when he came
home in the evening. One day the Cogia said, “O wife, every day I bring
home a liver: where do they all go to?” “The cat runs away with all
of them,” replied the wife. Therefore the Cogia getting up, put his
hatchet in the trunk and locked it up. Says his wife to the Cogia,
“For fear of whom do you lock up the hatchet?” “For fear of the cat,”
replied the Cogia. “What should the cat do with the hatchet?” said the
wife. “Why,” replied the Cogia, “as he takes a fancy to the liver,
which costs two aspres, is it not likely that he will take a fancy to
the hatchet, which costs four?”
* * * * *
One day the Cogia, being out on a journey, encamped along with a
caravan, and tied up his horse along with the others. When it was
morning the Cogia could not find his horse amongst the rest, not
knowing how to distinguish it; forthwith taking a bow and arrow in his
hand, he said, “Men, men, I have lost my horse.” Every one laughing,
took his own horse; and the Cogia looking, saw a horse which he
instantly knew to be his own. Forthwith placing his right foot in the
stirrup, he mounted the horse, so that his face looked to the horse’s
tail. “O Cogia,” said they, “why do you mount the horse the wrong way?”
“It is not my fault,” said he, “but the horse’s, for the horse is
left-handed.”
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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