Esop laughs. The price of the
musician (1000 obols, or six guineas) and of the scribe (three times
that sum) prevents the philosopher from buying them, and he turns to
Esop to see what he is made of. He gives him the customary salutation,
"Khaire!" (Rejoice). "I wasn't grieving," retorts Esop. "I greet thee,"
says Xanthus. "And I thee," replies Esop. "What are thou?" "Black." "I
don't mean that, but in what sort of place wast thou born?" "My mother
didn't tell me whether in the second floor or the cellar." "What can you
do?" "Nothing." "How?" "Why, these fellows here say they know how to do
everything, and they haven't left me a single thing." "By Jove," cries
Xanthus, "he has answered right well; for there is no man who knows
everything. That was why he laughed, it is clear." In the end, Xanthus
buys Esop for sixty obols (about 7s. 6d.) and takes him home, where his
wife (who is "very cleanly") receives him only on sufferance.

One day Xanthus, meeting friends at the bath, sends Esop home to boil
pease (idiomatically using the word in the singular), for his friends
are coming to eat with him. Esop boils _one_ pea and sets it before
Xanthus, who tastes it and bids him serve up. The water is then placed
on the table, and Esop justifies himself to his distracted master, who
then sends him for four pig's feet. While they boil, Xanthus slyly
abstracts one, and when Esop discovers this he takes it for a plot
against him of the other slaves. He runs into the yard, cuts a foot from
the pig feeding there, and tosses it into the pot. Presently the other
foot is put back, and Esop is confounded to see _five_ trotters on the
boil. He serves them up, however, and when Xanthus asks him what the
five mean he replies: "How many feet have two pigs?" Xanthus saying,
"Eight," quoth Esop: "Then here are five, and the porker feeding below
goes on three." On being reproached he urges: "But, master, there is no
harm in doing a sum in addition and subtraction, is there?" For very
shame Xanthus forbears whipping him.

One morning Xanthus gives a breakfast, for which Esop is sent to buy
"the best and most useful." He buys tongues, and the guests
(philosophers all) have nothing else. "What could be better for man than
tongue?" quoth Esop. Another time he is ordered to get "the worst and
most worthless"; again he brings tongues, and again is ready with a
similar defence.[132] A guest reviles him, and Esop retorts that he is
"malicious and a bus