he Cogia was conducting his ass to the market, the tail of
the animal becoming draggled with mud, the Cogia cut it off and put it
into a sack. Arriving at the market, he put up the ass to auction; and
on a person crying out, 'What is the use of this tailless creature?' he
said, 'Don't you leave your tail in the desert when you come to market?'

One day as the Cogia was coming from a distant place, his ass chanced to
be very thirsty, when all of a sudden they arrived at the margin of a
pool. Unfortunately, however, the sides of the pool were very steep, and
the ass of the Cogia, on seeing the water, not being able to restrain
himself, ran forward to the pool. Just as he was falling in, the frogs
of the pool began to croak violently; their voices frightening the ass,
he ran back. The Cogia, however, seized hold of him, and exclaiming,
'Bravo, ye birds of the pool!' he took out a handful of aspres, and flung
them into the pool, saying, 'Here's something for sweetmeats: take and
eat.'

In the time of Cogia Nasr Eddin Efendi, three priests, who showed
themselves versed in every kind of learning, travelling through the
world, at last came to the country of the Soldan Ala Eddin. The Emperor
invited them to accept the true faith; whereupon the three said, 'Each
one of us has a question to ask, and if you can give us an answer, we
will adopt your religion.' All agreed to this condition; and Soldan Ala
Eddin having assembled his ulemas and sheiks, not one of them was able to
make any reply to the questions of the strangers. The Soldan Ala Eddin
was very much incensed and mortified, and exclaimed, 'So there is not one
of the ulemas and sheiks in the countries beneath my jurisdiction who can
answer these fellows.' Whereupon one of the ulemas replied, 'Though none
of us can answer these questions, perhaps Cogia Nasr Eddin Efendi can.'
The Emperor, on hearing these words, gave orders to his Tartar messengers
to go in quest of Nasr Eddin Efendi. The Tartars, with all imaginable
speed, went their way, and having found the Cogia, communicated to him
the commands of the Sultan. Nasr Eddin, that moment saddling his ass,
took his staff in his hand, and mounting the animal, said to the Tartar,
'Lead the way and set off straight for the palace of Soldan Ala Eddin.'
On his arrival, he went into the presence of the Emperor, to whom he
said, 'Salaam,' and received the same salutation from the Sultan, who,
pointing out a place to him,