e chopping firewood which I
have not lived to require." So he went and lay down under a tree.

By and by came the wolves, and they fell upon the Khoja's donkey, and
devoured it.

The Khoja watched them from the place where he was lying.

"Ah, you brutes!" said he, "it is lucky for you that you have found a
donkey whose master is dead, and cannot interfere."

_Tale_ 11.--A Penny a Head.

The Turks shave their heads and allow their beards to grow. Thus the
Khoja went every week to the barber to have his head shaved, and when it
was done, the barber held out the mirror to him, that, having looked at
himself, he might place a penny fee on the mirror as the custom is.

Now as he grew old the Khoja became very bald.

One day when he was about to be shaved, passing his hand over his head,
he perceived that the crown was completely bald. But he said nothing,
and having paid his penny, took his departure as usual.

[Illustration: THE KHOJA IS SHAVED.]

Next week Khoja Effendi went again to the barber's.

When his head had been shaved he looked in the mirror as before; but he
put nothing on it.

As he rose to depart, the barber stopped him, saying, "Most worshipful
Effendi, you have forgotten to pay."

"My head is now half bald," said the Khoja; "will not one penny do for
two shavings?"

_Tale_ 12.--The Khoja a Cadi.

The late Khoja Effendi when he filled the office of Cadi had some
puzzling cases to decide.

One day two men came before him, and one of them said, "This fellow has
bitten my ear, O Cadi!"

"No, no, most learned Cadi!" said the other; "that is not true. He bit
his own ear, and now tries to lay the blame upon me."

"One cannot bite his own ear," said the first man; "wherefore the lies
of this scoundrel are obvious."

"Begone, both of you," said the Khoja; "but come back to-morrow, when I
will give judgment."

When the men had gone, the Khoja withdrew to a quiet place, where he
would be undisturbed, that he might try if he could bite his own ear.
Taking the ear in his fingers, he made many efforts to seize it with his
teeth, crying, "Can I bite it?"

But in the vehemence of his efforts the Khoja lost his balance and fell
backwards, wounding his head.

The following day he took his seat with his head bound up in a linen
cloth, and the men coming before him related their dispute as before,
and cried, "Now, is it possible, O Cadi?"

"O, you fellows!" said the Khoja, "biting is easy enough