The Bible in Spain: Or, the Journeys, Adventures, and Imprisonments of an Englishman, in an Attempt to Circulate the Scriptures in the PeninsulaBorrow, George
Religion
The Bible in Spain: Or, the Journeys, Adventures, and Imprisonments of an Englishman, in an Attempt to Circulate the Scriptures in the Peninsula
Borrow, George
Borrow, George, 1803-1881 -- Travel -- Spain; Spain -- Description and travel; Spain -- History -- 19th century
“_No le penela chi min chaboro_,” said the black Callee to me, in an
undertone; “_sin un balicho de los chineles_ {97};” then looking up to
the interrogator she said aloud, “he is one of our people from Portugal,
come on the smuggling lay, and to see his poor sisters here.”
“Then let him give me some tobacco,” said the fellow, “I suppose he has
brought some with him.”
“He has no tobacco,” said the black Callee, “he has nothing but old iron.
This cigar is the only tobacco there is in the house; take it, smoke it,
and go away!”
Thereupon she produced a cigar from out her shoe, which she presented to
the alguazil.
“This will not do,” said the fellow, taking the cigar, “I must have
something better; it is now three months since I received anything from
you; the last present was a handkerchief, which was good for nothing;
therefore hand me over something worth taking, or I will carry you all to
the Carcel.”
“The Busno will take us to prison,” said the black Callee, “ha! ha! ha!”
“The Chinel will take us to prison,” giggled the young girl “he! he! he!”
“The Bengui will carry us all to the estaripel,” grunted the Gypsy
grandmother, “ho! ho! ho!”
The three females arose and walked slowly round the fellow, fixing their
eyes steadfastly on his face; he appeared frightened, and evidently
wished to get away. Suddenly the two youngest seized his hands, and
whilst he struggled to release himself, the old woman exclaimed: “You
want tobacco, hijo—you come to the Gypsy house to frighten the Callees
and the strange Caloro out of their plako—truly, hijo, we have none for
you, and right sorry I am; we have, however, plenty of the dust _a su
servicio_.”
Here, thrusting her hand into her pocket, she discharged a handful of
some kind of dust or snuff into the fellow’s eyes; he stamped and roared,
but was for some time held fast by the two Callees; he extricated
himself, however, and attempted to unsheath a knife which he bore at his
girdle; but the two younger females flung themselves upon him like
furies, while the old woman increased his disorder by thrusting her stick
into his face; he was soon glad to give up the contest, and retreated,
leaving behind him his hat and cloak, which the chabi gathered up and
flung after him into the street.
“This is a bad business,” said I, “the fellow will of course bring the
rest of the justicia upon us, and we shall all be cast into the
estaripel.”
“Ca!” said the black Callee, biting her thumb nail, “he has more reason
to fear us than we him, we could bring him to the filimicha; we have,
moreover, friends in this town, plenty, plenty.”
“Yes,” mumbled the grandmother, “the daughters of the baji have friends,
my London Caloro, friends among the Busnees, baributre, baribu (_plenty_,
_plenty_).”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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