Seeing a guest so richly apparelled draw near, the servants ran out to meet him with all signs of respect, and the master of the feast came out also to meet him with other guests, saluting him and saying, "Welcome, O most learned Khoja!" And all who knew him saluted him in like manner, and secretly blessed themselves that his acquaintance did them credit. But the Khoja looked neither to the right hand nor to the left, and he made no reply. Then they led him to the upper end of the table, crying, "Please to be seated, Khoja Effendi!" Whereupon the Khoja seated himself, but he did not speak, and the guests stood round him, waiting to hear what should fall from his lips. And when the Khoja had been served with food, he took hold of the sleeve of his pelisse and pulled it towards the dish, saying, in a tone of respect, "O most worthy and honourable pelisse! be good enough to partake of this dish. In the name of the Prophet I beseech you do not refuse to taste what has been hospitably provided." "What is this, Khoja?" cried the people, "and what do you mean by offering food to a fur pelisse that can neither hear nor eat?" "O most courteous entertainers!" replied the Khoja, "since the pelisse has commanded such respect at your hands, is it not proper that it should also partake of the food?" _Tale_ 3.--The Khoja's Slippers. One day, when the idle boys of the neighbourhood were gathered together and ready for mischief, they perceived the Khoja approaching. "Here comes this mad Khoja!" they said. "Let us now persuade him to climb the largest of these mulberry-trees, and whilst he is climbing we will steal his slippers." And when the Khoja drew near, they cried, "O Khoja, here is indeed a tree which it is not possible to climb." The Khoja looked at the mulberry-tree and said, "You are in error, my children, any one of you could climb that tree." But they said, "We cannot." Then said the Khoja, "I, who am an old man, could climb that mulberry-tree." Then the boys cried, "O most illustrious Khoja! we beseech of you to climb the tree before our eyes, that we may believe what you say, and also be encouraged to try ourselves." "I will climb it," said the Khoja. Thereupon he kicked off his slippers as the children had anticipated; and tucking his skirts into his girdle, he prepared to climb. [Illustration: THE KHOJA'S SLIPPERS.] But whilst they were waiting to steal his slippers, the Khoja put them into his pocket. "Effendi Khoja," said the children, "wherefore do you not leave your slippers on the ground? What will you do with slippers up in the mulberry-tree?" "O my children!" said the Khoja dryly, "it is good to be provided against everything. I may come upon a road further up." _Tale_ 4.--The Khoja and the Three Wise Men. In the days of Effendi Nasr-ed-Deen Khoja there appeared in the world three Sages, who excelled in every science and in all wisdom.