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 roasted a goose, and set out in order to carry it to
the Emperor. On the way, feeling very hungry, he cut off one leg and
ate it. Coming into the presence of the Emperor, he placed the goose
before him. On seeing it, Tamerlank said to himself, “The Cogia is
making game of me,” and was very angry, and demanded, “How happens it
that this goose has but one foot?” Said the Cogia, “In our country all
the geese have only one foot. If you disbelieve me, look at the geese
by the side of that fountain.” Now at that time there was a flock of
geese by the rim of the fountain, all of whom were standing on one leg.
Timour instantly ordered that all the drummers should at once play up;
the drummers began to strike with their sticks, and forthwith all the
geese stood on both legs. On Timour saying, “Don’t you see that they
have two legs?” the Cogia replied, “If you keep up that drumming you
yourself will presently have four.”
* * * * *
One day the Cogia’s wife, having washed the Cogia’s kaftan, hung it
upon a tree to dry; the Cogia going out saw, as he supposed, a man
standing in the tree with his arms stretched out. Says the Cogia to his
wife, “O wife, go and fetch me my bow and arrow.” His wife fetched and
brought them to him; the Cogia taking an arrow, shot it and pierced the
kaftan and stretched it on the ground; then returning, he made fast
his door and lay down to sleep. Going out in the morning he saw that
what he had shot was his own kaftan; thereupon, sitting down, he cried
aloud, “O God, be thanked; if I had been in it I should have certainly
been killed.”
* * * * *
One day as the Cogia was going to his house, he met a number of
students, and said to them, “Gentlemen, pray this night come to our
house and taste a sup of the old father’s broth.” “Very good,” said the
students, and following the Cogia, came to the house. “Pray enter,”
said he, and brought them into the house, then going up to where his
wife was, “O wife,” said he, “I have brought some travellers that we
may give them a cup of broth.” “O master,” said his wife, “is there
oil in the house or rice, or have you brought any that you wish to
have broth?” “Bless me,” said the Cogia, “give me the broth pan,” and
snatching it up, he forthwith ran to where the students were, and
exclaimed, “Pray, pardon me gentlemen, but had there been oil or rice
in our house, this is the pan in which I would have served the broth up
to you.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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