ctors. 'I merely came to take a walk,'
said the Cogia. 'We will now make you take a pretty walk,' said the
carriers, and instantly began belabouring him with their cudgels. The
Cogia, with tears streaming from his eyes, ran home. 'Where have you
been?' said his wife. 'I have been dead,' said the Cogia, 'and in the
tomb.' 'And what is there in the other world?' said his wife. 'Nothing,'
said the Cogia, 'provided you don't frighten carriers' camels.'

Once upon a time the Cogia was sent into Curdistan along with the
Ambassador. Whilst he was there the Curdish Beys invited the Cogia to a
feast which they had made in honour of him. The Cogia, putting on a
pelisse, went to the place of festival. During the entertainment he
chanced to belch. 'You do wrong to belch, Cogia Moolah Efendi,' said the
Beys. 'I am amongst Curds,' said the Cogia. 'How should they know a
Turkish belching, even though they hear it?'

One day the Cogia went with Cheragh Ahmed to the den of a wolf, in order
to see the cubs. Said the Cogia to Ahmed: 'Do you go in.' Ahmed did so.
The old wolf was abroad, but presently returning, tried to get into the
cave to its young. When it was about half-way in the Cogia seized hard
hold of it by the tail. The wolf in its struggles cast a quantity of
dust into the eyes of Ahmed. 'Hallo, Cogia,' he cried, 'what does this
dust mean?' 'If the wolf's tail breaks,' said the Cogia, 'you'll soon
see what the dust means.'

One day the Cogia mounted upon a tree, and, sitting upon a branch,
forthwith began to cut it. A person coming up said, 'Hallo, man! what
are you about? as soon as you have cut the branch you will fall.' The
Cogia made no answer, but went on cutting, and no sooner had he cut
through the bough than down fell the Cogia to the ground. Getting up, he
ran after the person, crying out, 'Ho, fellow, if you knew that I should
fall you also knew that I should kill myself,' and forthwith seized him
by the collar. The man, finding no other way to save himself, said,
'Leave hold of me and fling yourself down on the road face upwards. At
the first belching that you give half your soul will leave your body; at
the second, all will go and not a particle will remain.' The Cogia did
so, and at the second belching, laying himself down on the ground, he
cried, 'I am dead,' and remained motionless. Forthwith the Ulemas
hastened to him, and bringing with them a coffin, placed him in it,
saying, 'Let us