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Page 53
On the following day Khoja Effendi went to a marriage feast, dressed in
his old clothes.
His appearance was indeed very shabby, and the attendants were almost
disposed to refuse him admission, but he slipped in whilst honours and
compliments were being paid on the arrival of some grander guests. Even
those who knew him well were so much ashamed of his dress as to be glad
to look another way to avoid saluting him.
All this was quickly observed by the Khoja, and after a few moments
(during which no one asked him to be seated) he slipped out and ran
home, where he put on the splendid fur pelisse which he had accepted
from the Jew money-lender, and so returned to the door of the house of
feasting.
Seeing a guest so richly apparelled draw near, the servants ran out to
meet him with all signs of respect, and the master of the feast came out
also to meet him with other guests, saluting him and saying, "Welcome,
O most learned Khoja!" And all who knew him saluted him in like manner,
and secretly blessed themselves that his acquaintance did them credit.
But the Khoja looked neither to the right hand nor to the left, and he
made no reply.
Then they led him to the upper end of the table, crying, "Please to be
seated, Khoja Effendi!"
Whereupon the Khoja seated himself, but he did not speak, and the guests
stood round him, waiting to hear what should fall from his lips.
And when the Khoja had been served with food, he took hold of the sleeve
of his pelisse and pulled it towards the dish, saying, in a tone of
respect, "O most worthy and honourable pelisse! be good enough to
partake of this dish. In the name of the Prophet I beseech you do not
refuse to taste what has been hospitably provided."
"What is this, Khoja?" cried the people, "and what do you mean by
offering food to a fur pelisse that can neither hear nor eat?"
"O most courteous entertainers!" replied the Khoja, "since the pelisse
has commanded such respect at your hands, is it not proper that it
should also partake of the food?"
_Tale_ 3.--The Khoja's Slippers.
One day, when the idle boys of the neighbourhood were gathered together
and ready for mischief, they perceived the Khoja approaching.
"Here comes this mad Khoja!" they said. "Let us now persuade him to
climb the largest of these mulberry-trees, and whilst he is climbing we
will steal his slippers."
And when the Khoja drew near, they cried, "O Khoja, here is indeed a
tree which it is not possible to climb."
The Khoja looked at the mulberry-tree and said, "You are in error, my
children, any one of you could climb that tree."
But they said, "We cannot."
Then said the Khoja, "I, who am an old man, could climb that
mulberry-tree."
Then the boys cried, "O most illustrious Khoja! we beseech of you to
climb the tree before our eyes, that we may believe what you say, and
also be encouraged to try ourselves."
"I will climb it," said the Khoja. Thereupon he kicked off his slippers
as the children had anticipated; and tucking his skirts into his girdle,
he prepared to climb.
[Illustration: THE KHOJA'S SLIPPERS.]
But whilst they were waiting to steal his slippers, the Khoja put them
into his pocket.
"Effendi Khoja," said the children, "wherefore do you not leave your
slippers on the ground? What will you do with slippers up in the
mulberry-tree?"
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