hoja Nasr-ed-Deen went to see the Bey, and the
Bey invited him to go out hunting.

The Khoja agreed, but when they were about to start he found that he had
been mounted on a horse which would not move out of a snail's pace. He
said nothing, however, for it is not well to be too quick in seeing
affronts.

By and by it began to rain heavily. The Bey and the rest of the party
galloped off with all speed towards shelter, and the Khoja was left in
the lurch.

When they were all out of sight the Khoja got down and took off all his
clothes and folded them neatly together, and put them on the saddle.
Then he got up again and sat on his clothes, to keep them dry.

By and by the rain ceased, and the Khoja dressed himself and went
leisurely home. When he reached the Bey's palace all the guests were
assembled, and presently the Bey perceived him and cried out, "Why, here
is the worthy Khoja! And--how extraordinary!--his clothes are not as wet
as ours."

"Why do you not praise the horse on which you mounted me?" answered the
Khoja; "it carried me through the storm without a single thread of my
clothes being wet."

"They must have made a mistake about the horses," thought the Bey to
himself, and he invited the Khoja to go hunting on the following day.

The Khoja accepted, and when the time came he was mounted on the horse
which the Bey had ridden the day before, and the Bey seated himself on
that which had carried the Khoja with dry clothes through the shower.

By and by it began to rain; every one rode off as usual, and this time
the Khoja among them.

The Bey, however, could not induce his horse to stir out of a foot's
pace, and when he arrived at his palace he was drenched to the skin.

"Wretched man!" he cried to the Khoja, "is it not through you that I
was induced to ride this useless horse?"

"Most eminent Bey," replied the Khoja, "the beast has treated you no
worse than he served me. But perhaps your Eminence did not think of
taking off your clothes and sitting on them?"

_Tale_ 43.--The Khoja's Donkey brays to Good Purpose.

One day the Khoja dismounted at the door of a shop, and threw his
woollen pelisse on the donkey's back till he should return. He then went
in to buy sweetmeats.

In a few minutes there passed a man, who snatched the woollen pelisse
from the donkey's back, and went off with it. At this moment the donkey
began to bray.

"O bawl away!" cried the Khoja, who had come out just in time to se