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
So the camel-driver went with him to a khan at a distance from the
shore, where he had set down the stuffs, and showed him the mock
merchant’s magazine, which he opened and found therein his four bales
untouched and unopened. The thief had laid his mantle over them; so
the merchant took the bales and the cloak and delivered them to the
camel-driver, who laid them on his camel; after which the merchant
locked the magazine and went away with the camel-driver. On the way, he
met the thief who followed him, till he had shipped the bales, when he
said to him “O my brother (God have thee in His keeping!), thou hast
recovered thy goods, and nought of them is lost; so give me back my
cloak.” The merchant laughed and giving him back his cloak, let him go
unhindered.
_THE IGNORANT MAN WHO SET UP FOR A SCHOOLMASTER_
There was once, among the hangers-on of the collegiate mosque, a man
who knew not how to read and write and got his bread by gulling the
folk. One day, he bethought him to open a school and teach children;
so he got him tablets and written scrolls and hung them up in a
conspicuous place. Then he enlarged his turban and sat down at the door
of the school. The people, who passed by and saw his turban and the
tablets and scrolls, thought he must be a very learned doctor; so they
brought him their children; and he would say to this, “Write,” and to
that, “Read”; and thus they taught one another.
One day, as he sat, as of wont, at the door of the school, he saw a
woman coming up, with a letter in her hand, and said to himself, “This
woman doubtless seeks me, that I may read her the letter she has in her
hand. How shall I do with her seeing I cannot read writing?” And he
would fain have gone down and fled from her; but, before he could do
this, she overtook him and said to him, “Whither away?” Quoth he, “I
purpose to pray the noontide-prayer and return.” “Noon is yet distant,”
said she; “so read me this letter.” He took the letter and turning
it upside down, fell to looking at it, now shaking his head and anon
knitting his eyebrows and showing concern. Now the letter came from
the woman’s husband, who was absent; and when she saw the schoolmaster
do thus, she said, “Doubtless my husband is dead, and this learned man
is ashamed to tell me so.” So she said to him, “O my lord, if he be
dead, tell me.” But he shook his head and held his peace. Then said
she, “Shall I tear my clothes?” “Tear,” answered he. “Shall I buffet my
face,” asked she; and he said, “Buffet.” So she took the letter from
his hand and returning home, fell a-weeping, she and her children.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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