ust I do in order to hold the fast in conformity with the people?
I must prepare an earthen pot, and every day put a stone into it, and
when thirty days are completed I may hold my Beiram.' So he commenced
placing stones in the pot, one every day. Now it happened one day that a
daughter of the Cogia cast a handful of stones into the pot, and a little
time after some people asked the Cogia, 'What day of the month is it to-
day?' Now it happened to be the twenty-fifth. The Cogia, however, said
to them, 'Have patience and I will see'; and going to his house and
emptying the pot, perceived that there were a hundred and twenty stones
in it. Says the Cogia to himself, 'If I tell the people all this number
they will call me a fool.' So going to them he said, 'This day is the
forty-fifth day of the month.' But, said they, 'O Cogia, a month has in
all but thirty days, so how can you say that to-day is the forty-fifth?'
'I spoke quite within bounds,' said the Cogia. 'If you were to see the
account in the pot you would find that to-day is the hundred and
twentieth.'

One day the Cogia was asked, 'When there is a new moon, what becomes of
the old one?' 'They make forty stars out of each,' said the Cogia.

One day the Cogia went out of the city along with a cafila or caravan of
people, and felt a wish to ride. Now there was a camel belonging to the
cafila, and the Cogia said to himself, 'Now, if instead of walking I
should mount on this camel, how comfortably could I travel!' Thereupon
mounting on the camel, he proceeded along with the cafila. The camel,
however, falling to kicking, flung the Cogia to the earth and knelt upon
him. The Cogia cried out loudly, and the people of the cafila came and
rescued him. After a little time the Cogia, coming to his senses, said,
'O Mussulmen, did you not see how that perfidious camel maltreated me?
Now do hold the perfidious brute for me, that I may cut its throat.'

One day the Cogia bought a quantity of eggs at the rate of nine for the
aspre, and carrying them to another place, he sold them at the rate of
ten. Some people asking him, 'Why do you sell ten for what you gave for
nine?' the Cogia replied, 'I always wish my friends to see that I lose by
my bargains.'

One day the Cogia walking along the plain met a heifer, and forthwith
laying thievish hands upon it, led it straight to his house, where he
slaughtered it and stripped off the skin. The proprietor soon appeared
befo