The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-04-15

Nine Psss4s lSiG fsm 5ps6yf

A Trade In Riddles.
Nine 55ssxs sSid fsm IxSe dbx;i
the Rhine. "A Jew who wished % &0
to Schilampi was allowed to come on
board and Journey with them, on con-
dition that he would conduct himself
with propriety, and give the captain
eighteen kreutzers for his passage.
Now, it is true something jingled in
the Jews pocket when he had struck
his hand against it.; but the only mo-
ney there was twelve kreutzer piece,
for the other was a. brass button. Not
withstanding this he accepted the offer
with gratitude. For he Thought to
himself" Something may be earned
even upon the water. There is many
man who has grown rich upon the
Rhine"
During the first part Of the voyage
the passengers were very talkative and
merry, and the Jew, with his wallet
under his arm, for he did not lay it
aside, was an object of much mirth and
mockery, as, alas! is often the case
with those of his nation. But as the
vessel sailed onward, and passed Thur
engen and st. Welt, the passengers, one
after another, grew silent, and gaped
and gased 1istlessly down. the river,
unil one cried: flsE ~ xtsfss5
Come, Jew! Do you know any pas
time that will amuse us? Your fathers
must have contrived many one dur
ing their journey in the wilderness.
Now is the time, thought the Jew, to
shear my Sheep! And he. proposed
that they should sit round in circle,
and he, with their permission, would
sit with them. Those who could not
answer the questions, should pay the
one who propounded them twelve
kreutzer piece, and those who answer
ed them pertinentlX should receive a
twelve-kreutzer piece.
The proposal pleased the company,
and hoping to divert themselves with
the Jews stupidity, eacn one asked at
random whatever chanced to enter his
head.
Thus, for example, the first asked -
How many soft-boiled eggs could the
giant Goliath eat. on an empty stO-
mach? 49, :.
All said it was impossible to answer
that question, and each paid the twelve
kreutZers. .,s,ts ,,.assr =.si~s
But the Jew said-One; for he who
has eaten one egg, cannot put a second
on an empty stomach, and the others
paid him twelve kreutZers. y 81
The second thought-Wait, Jew, L
will try you on the New Testament,
and l think / shall win my piece
Why did the Apostle Paul write the
second epistle to the Corinthians?
The Jew said-Because he was not in
Corinth-Otherwiseh he would have spo-
ken to. them. So he won, another
twelve-kreutzer piece.
: When the third saw the Jew was 80
well versed in the Bible, he tried in a
differen. way. Who prOlongs his work
to as great length as possible, and COM
pletes it in time:o e e II
The rope-maker, if lie is Industrious,
said the Jew.
In the meantime they drew near to
a village, and one said to the other,
that is Bamlach. Then the fourth ask
ed, In what month do the people of
Bamlach eat the least u
The Jew said-In February, for it has
only twenty-eighi days. oa
The fifth said-There are two natu-
raj brothers, and still one of these is
my Uncle.
The Jew said-The uncle Is your fa-
ther's brother, and your father is not
your uncle.
A fish now leaped out of the water,
and a sixth asked, What fish have
their eyes nearest together?
The Jew said-The smallest.
The seventh asked-how c:ln man
ride from Basic to Berne in the shade,
in the summer time, when the sun
shines"
The Jew said-When he comes to
place where there is no shade, he must
dismount and 60 on foot.
The eighth asked, When man rides
in the winter time from Berne to Basle,
and has forgotten his gloves, how must
he manage so that his hands shall not
freeze:
The Jew said--He must make fists
out of them.
The ninth was the last. This enc
asked: 2f
How can five persons divide five eggs
so that each man shall receive one, and
still one remain i'm the dish? 4
, The Jew said-The last man must
take the dish with the egg, and he can
let it lie there as long as he pleases.
But now it,came to his turn, and he
determiped to make good sweep.
After many preliminary compliments,
he asked, with an air Of mischievOus
friendliness. How can a man fry two
trouts in three pans, SO that trout
may lie iii each pan:
No one could answer this, and one
after the other gave HIM a twelve
kreutzer piece. d fl5,-lft ~
But when the ninth desired that he
should solve the riddle, he rocked to
and fro, shrugged his shoulders and
rolled his eyes. I am poor Jew, he
said ut last. % f.t
The rest cried, What has that to do
with it.: Give US the answer.
! You must not take it amiss, for am
poor Jew. ..5
at last, after much persuation and
many promises that they would do
him no harm, he thrust his hand into
his pocket, took out one of the twelve
kreutzer pieces that he had won, laid
it upon the table, and said, / do not
know the answer any more than you.
Here are my twelve kreutzers.
When the others heard these words,
they opened their eyes and said this
was scarcely according to the agree
ment. But, as they could not control
their laughter, and were wealthy and
good natured men, and as the Jew had
, helped them to while away the time
! from st. Welt to Schilampi, they let it
pass: and the Jew took with him from
| the vessel- LET a GOOD arithnetician
reckon up for me how much the Jew
carried home with him. He had nine
twelve-kreutzer pieces by his answ ers.