Youth--Advantages of Education--The Fair Cup-bearer--'January and
May'--Why an Old Man did not Marry--The Dervish who became
King--Muezzin and Preacher who had bad voices--Witty Slave--Witty
Kazi--Astrologer and his Faithless Wife--Objectionable Neighbour

III On Taciturnity: Parallels from Caxton's _Dictes_ and preface to
_Kalila wa Dimna_--Difference between Devotee and Learned Man--To
get rid of Troublesome Visitors--Fable of the Nightingale and the
Ant--Aphorisms of Saadi--Conclusion

ORIENTAL WIT AND HUMOUR.

I Man a Laughing Animal--Antiquity of Popular Jests--'Night and
Day'--The Plain-featured Bride--The House of Condolence--The
Blind Man's Wife--Two Witty Persian Ladies--Woman's Counsel--The
Turkish Jester: in the Pulpit; the Cauldron; the Beggar; the
Drunken Governor; the Robber; the Hot Broth--Muslim Preachers and
Misers

II The Two Deaf Men and the Traveller--The Deaf Persian and the
Horseman--Lazy Servants--Chinese Humour: The Rich Man and the
Smiths; How to keep Plants alive; Criticising a Portrait--The
Persian Courtier and his old Friend--The Scribe--The Schoolmaster
and the Wit--The Persian and his Cat--A List of Blockheads--The
Arab and his Camel--A Witty Baghdadi--The Unlucky Slippers

III The Young Merchant of Baghdad; or, the Wiles of Woman

IV Ashaab the Covetous--The Stingy Merchant and the Hungry
Bedouin--The Sect of Samradians--The Story-teller and the
King--Royal Gifts to Poets--The Persian Poet and the
Impostor--'Stealing Poetry'--The Rich Man and the Poor Poet

V Unlucky Omens--The Old Man's Prayer--The Old Woman in the
Mosque--The Weeping Turkmans--The Ten Foolish Peasants--The
Wakeful Servant--The Three Dervishes--The Oilman's Parrot--The
Moghul and his Parrot--The Persian Shopkeeper and the Prime
Minister--Hebrew Facetiae

TALES OF A PARROT.

I General Plan of Eastern Story-books--The _Tuti Nama_, or
Parrot-Book--The Frame-story--The Stolen Images--The Woman carved
out of Wood--The Man whose Mare was kicked by a Merchant's Horse

II The Emperor's Dream--The Golden Apparition--The Four
Treasure-seekers

III The Singing Ass: the Foolish Thieves: the Faggot-maker and the
Magic Bowl

IV The Goldsmith who lost his Life through Covetousness--The King