"Ich eck' bald! Mein Bauch, oi, mein Bauch mus mir platzen-- Heunt hāb' ich a Nowi verschlungen! Dā helft mehr kēin Glätten, kēin Reiben, kēin Kratzen-- Bald is' schōn der Bauch mir zusprungen! "A Nowi, dās is' gār a zu harter Bissen, Es känn ihm gār Kēiner vertrāgen; Zu fett is' sein Frummkeit--es soll schōn nit wissen Vun ihm kēin schum ehrlicher Māgen! newly laid strawthatch. And it was he that was the cause of the committee's preoccupation with the Mogul, and their discussion of how much longer the Prince of the Ishmaelites would be reigning. They returned to the usual conversation of the Ten Tribes, how happy they lived in those distant lands, enjoying wealth and honor; they recalled the Red Jews, the Sons of Moses, and told a mass of stories of their bravery, etc.; Eldad the Danite was naturally also dished up. I owe it mainly to those times that I later undertook my journey." XI. A TOUGH MORSEL On the shore of the waters, from Jaffa to Tarshish, one may hear a grumbling and growling;--on the shore of the waters, from Jaffa to Tarshish, the night descended in darkness. And deep out of the water one may hear a growling,--it seems, the voice of a whale. "My lords! To-day the devil has taken me, I am going to die to-day, I feel it, I am sure! "My end has come! My belly, O my belly will burst;--I have swallowed this day a prophet! No massaging, no rubbing, no scratching will help me;--ere long my belly will certainly burst! "A prophet is entirely too tough a morsel, and no one can digest him; his piety is too fat,--may no honest stomach ever know the like. "A Nowi, derzu noch gār ēiner, a klēiner! (Punkt zwölf auf a Tutz gār in Ganzen) Gār hart is' sein Nefesch, gār hart seine Bēiner-- Er löchert mir 's Harz mit sein Tanzen! "Un' Stēiner, un' Bēiner, un' kolerlēi Sachen, See hāt schōn mein Māgen zurieben; Un' nor mit Newiim känn gār ich nit machen-- A Make, wās stēht nit geschrieben! "A Nowi is' gār nit varhanden a wēicher-- Nit känn män ihm essen, nit nāgen: Es wollt' sein a Mizwe, nit lāsen kēin Seecher Vun Frumme, wās grablen beim Māgen! "A Frummer is' gār nit varhanden kēin wēicher-- Mir kennen die dāsige Helden! Es wollt' sein a Mizwe, nit lāsen a Seecher Vun see--mit Respekt dās zu melden! "Rabōssai! Ich spür' jetzt, er grabelt in Bauch mir-- Gewalt! 's is' die Tewa vun Frumme Rak grablen in Jenems Gedärem--nu, äuch mir A Nowi,--nor, ach, vun die Krumme! "Rabōssai! Mir dacht sich, er murmelt jetzt eppes Un' krümmt sich, un' bēugt sich gār plutzim-- Du darschenst umsüst gār, du darschenst in Steppes Un' wartst gār umsüst auf Tiruzim! "Rabōssai! Ich spür' jetzt sein Grablen, sein Zapplen, Es dacht sich, er dawent a Bissel! Un' halt' ich's noch länger jetzt aus, mus ich mapplen-- Gewald! Gi't mir Brechwein a Schüssel!