The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1876-02-24
A Trade in Riddles.

n
Nine persons sailed from Balse down
the Rhine. A Jew who wished to go to
Schalampi, was allowed to come on board
and journey with them, on condition 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 band
against it, but tie only money there, was
twelve kreuzer piece, for the other was
accepted tie offer with gratitude, for he
thought to himself
"Something may be earned even upon
the water. There is many man who has
grown rich on the Rhine"
During the first part of the voyage the
passengers We're very talkative and merry,
but the Jew, with his wallet under his arm,
for he did not lay i. aside, was an object
of much mirth and mockery, as, alas is
often the case with those Of his nation.
But tie vessel sailed onward, and passed
Thurnipgen and st. Welt; the passengers,
one after another, grew silent, and gaped,
and gazed listlessly down the river, until
one cried
"Come, Jew, do you know any pastime
that will amuse US? Your fathers must
have contrived many one during their
journey in the wilderness"
''Now is the time" thought the Jew,
"to shear the sheep
lie then proposed that they should sit
round in circle, and he, with their per.
mission, would sit with them. Those who
could not answer the question any ore
proposed, should pay the one who pro-
pounded them twelve-kruetzcr piece, and
those who answered them pertinentlv
should receive twelve kreutzer piece,
This proposal pleased the company, and,
hoping to divert themselves with The
jews wit or stupidity, each one asked at
random whatever chanced to enter his
head. Thus for example, the first asked:
GLOW many soft-boiled eggs could the
giant Goliath eat on an empty stomach?"
All said it would be impossible to am
swer that question:; but the Jew said
Gone; for he who has eaten one egg
cannot put second on an empty-stomach,' .
and the other paid him twelve kreulzers.
"Wait, jew" thought the second, 81
will try you out of the New Testament
and l shink l shall win my piece" Then
he said; "Why did the Apostle Paul
wrote the Second Epistle to the Corinth
ians?'
because he was not in Corintb," said
the Jew "otherwise he would have spoken
10 them"
So he won another twelve-kreutzer
piece.
When the third saw the Jew was so
we'll versed in the Bible, he tried him in a
inherent way.
"Who," said he, "prolongs his work to
as great length as possible, and completes
it in time?"
"The ropemaker, if he is industrious" 4"
said the Jew.
10 the meantime they drew near VII
lage, and one said to the othor, "This is
Bamlah" Then the fourth said: '1n
what month do the people of Bamlah eat
the least?"
sIn February" replied the Jew, ''for it
has only % days.
"There are two natural brothers," said
the fifth, "and yet only one OF them is my
uncle"
"The uncle is your fathers brother y
said the Jew; "and your father is not
your uncle
A fish now leape1 out of the water, and
a sixth asked, &c" hat fish have their eyes
nearest together?''
"The smallest said the Jew.
The 7th asked, Glow can man ride
from Balse to Bern in the shade in sum
mer time, when the sun shines?n
"When he comes to a place where is nt
shade be must dismount and 60 on foot,
said the Jew.
The eighth asked, "When a man ride
in the winter time from Balse to Bern, ant
has forgotten his gloves, how shall b
manage that his hands shall not freezer"
"IIe must make fists out of them," sal
the Jew.
The ninth was the last. This On
asked
''How can FIVE persons divide five egg