The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-05-24
LIVING BY ONES WIT.
FROM THE GERMAN.
BY MRS. ct. SIMON.

would conduct himself with property, and
give the captain eighteen kreu,zers for his
passage
Now it is true, something ingled in the
Jews pocket, when he struck his hand
against 1t; but the only money that was
therein, was a twelve kuuizsr piece, for
the other was brass button. Nolwihstand-
ing this he accepted the offer with graf
itude. For he thought 10 himself, some.
thing may be earned, even upon water; there
is many man who has got rich on the
Rhine.
During the first part of the voyage the
passengers were talkative and merry, and
the Jew, with his wallet under his arm for
he did moi lay it aside, was the object of
much mirlh and mockery, as alas T. is often
the case with those OF his nation. But as
the vessel sailed onward, and passed Thurin
gen and Saint veil, the passengers, one after
the other, grew silent, and gazed down the
river until one cried: H'
"Come, Jew, do you not know any pas
time that will amuse usa Your fathers must
have contrived many one during their long
stay in the wilderness"
"Now is the time, thought the Jew, 10
shear my sheepW And he proposed that
they should sit around in circle, aud pro-
pound very curious questions 10 each other,
and he, with their permission, would sit
with them. Those who could not answer
the question, should pay the one who pro-
pounded them a twelve kreutzer piece.
The proposal pleased the company; and
hoping 10 divert themselves with the jews
wit or stupidity, each one asked al random,
whatever entered his head.
Thus, for example, the first one asked
'How many soft boiled eggs could the giant
Goliah eat upon an empty stomach?
All said that ii was impossible to answer
that question, and each paid his twelve
kreutzers. s.-..
But the Jew said 'One; for he who has
eaten one egg, cannot eat a second on an
empty stomach and the other paid him
twelve kreutzers.
The second thought. Wait, Jew, I will
try you out of the New Testament and I
think shall win my piece. Why did the
Apostles Of Paul write the second epistle to
the Corin,hiansp
The Jew sald-' Because he was not in
Corinth, Otherwise he would have spoken to
lhem.' So he won another twelve kreutzer
piece.
When the third saw The Jew was so well
versed in The Bible, he tried him in diff
ferent way. 'Who prolougs his work to as
great length as possible, and still completes
it in time?
'The ropemaker, if he is industrious,' said
the Jew.
In the meanwhile they drew near 10 vii
lage, and one said TO the other. THAT is
Bamiach. Then the fourth asked-'In what
month do the people in Bamlach eai the
least?
The Jew said,-'In February, for that has
oDly twenty.eight days.
The fifth said--sThere are two natural
brothers, and still only one of them is my
uncle
TIE Jew said The uncle is your faith
er's brother, and your father is not your
uncle
fish now jumped out Of the water, and
the sixth asked, 'Wnat fish have eyes near
est ,ogelherp =
The Jew said, The smallest
The seventh asked, How can man ride
from Basle to Bern in the shade, in The sum-
mer time, when the sun shinesp
The Jew said, when he comes 10 q place
where there is no shade, he must dismount
and SO on foot.'
The eighth asked, when man rides in
the winter time from Bern 10 Basle, and has
forgotten his gloves, how must he manage go
that his hands shall not freeze?
The Jew said, He must make fists out Of
them.
The ninth was the last. This one asked
-' How can five persons divide five eggs so
that each man shall receive one, and still
one remain in the dish?
The Jew said, 'The las, must take the
dish with the egg, and can let it lay there as
long as he pleases'
But now il came his turn, and he deter
mined 10 make good sweep. After many
preliminary compliments, he asked, with an
air OF miscellaneous friendliness, How can a
man fry two trouts in three pans so that a
trout may lie in each pan.
No one could answer this, and one after
the other gave him twelve kreutzer
piece.
Bot when the ninth desired that he should
answer it himself, he frankly acknowledged
that he knew not how the trout could be fried
in such way.
Then il was maintained that this was un-
fair in the Jew; But we stouly affirmed
that there was no provision for il in the
agreement, save that he would not answer
the question should pay the kreutzers ard
he fulfilled that agreement by paying that
sum 10 the ninth of his comrades who had
asked him to solve il himself. But they all
being rich merchants, and grateful for the
amusement which had passed an hour mr.