The record-union., 1896-11-05
TURKISH STORY-TELLERS.
Some of the Gems With Which They
Regale Their Auditors.

Regale Their AUDITORS.
The professional story teller still ex
lists in Turkey. In that land books are
not in every home, as in this, the news
papers are few and far between, and
never the interesting sheets they are
here. 1t follows that a person who has
a fund of bright stories which he can
tell well is in great demand. These
story-tellers are usually found in the
large public restaurants, where they
attract customers, and after a story
collect their fees from the crowd. In
the month of Ramazin, when night is
turned into a carnival of revelry, the
Story-teller is at his best. Gayly
dressed, in jacket, WaiStcoat and full
baggy trousers of gaudy colors, richly
embroidered in gold, he sits, cross
legged, on raised dais above his au-
dience. Quick-witted, fertile in imag-
ination, he speaks with inimitable ac-
ton, accompanying his description of
every scene with all the accessories Of
protrudlng tongue, changing express
sion, eleoquent shrug and gesticula-
ton that his subject demands-ges-
lures and signs whose full significance
can be appreciated only by a native
born Oriental. Sometimes the story
tellers go in pairs, like Karaghenz and
Hadji-aivat, who are the acknowl-
edged princes of story-tellers in Con-
ntinople-adopting the question
nd-anSWer style, after the fashion of
the end men in the old-time minstrel
entertainmnt. Probably the cleverest
and brightest s'tory-teller of them all is
Nasartin Hodja.
Nasartin is always represented as an
elderly man. with flowing white beard
and innocent expression, dressed in q
long gown and turban and holding a
cane in his hand. His stories are num-
bered, like those of Aesop, and comprise
1o6 In the original. The language is
Turkish and the style pithy and con-
else.
Among his Stories are as follows:
One day a wealthy man called upon
Nasartin Hodja to ask him how much
lie would charge to educate his son.
Three hundred piasters," said the
Hadja. What are you talking about?"
exclaimed the man. That is too much.
l can buy six donkeys for 800 piasters.''
THAT is well said" answered Nasar-
TIN, but II you buy six donkeys with
your 3OO piasters instead of educating
your son you will be master of seven
conkeys, including your SON.
one day Nasartin Hodja went to the
Turkish bath, and, finding no one there.
seized the favorable opportunity and be-
gan to sing. AS his voice was very
shrill, and the vacancy of the bath
added to its effect, a sound that echoed
and re-echoed was the result. AT this
exhibition Of his voice Nasartin became
very much pleased with himself, and
SAID: L really had no idea that my voice
had been so highly cultivated" AS
soon, therefore, as he finished his bath
ne rushed out, and, going to the tower
Of the mosque, began to exhibit his new
found accomplishment by repeating
Mohammed's prayer But the Muezzin
startled by this unexpected and inhar-
monious voice seized stick, and. rush
ing after him to the tower, began to
beat him vigorously, saying: "Be quiet,
you donkey! What are you shouting
like this for? NVllat an inharmonious
voice you have!"
Then Nasartin fell to weeping loudly
and said: Isn't there mercift1I man
anywhere who will build Turkish bath
on top Of this tower, wherein I can
sing, so that this evil man will be
forced to appreciate my fine voice?"
The lesson this teaches is that sur
roundings do not of necessity make
ability.
One day Nasartin entered a water
melon field and began picking every
melon that came in his way While
thus engaged in picking and putting
tEem in his bag, the gardener spied
MIN, and, rushing to him, took him
roughly by the neck, saying: What
business have you here, man?''
Then Nasartin, surprised and uncer-
tain what answer it was best to make
began hesitatingly to say: My SON
the other day-there was such great
sform-do you know" and the gar
dener without releasing his hold said:
We'll, what Of it?" Then N.sartin
continued: 'It was this storm that
brought me here" THAT is all right"
said the gardener, but who picked
these melons?"
And Nasartin still casting about for
suitable reply, answered.: ct was be-
cause the storm was so strong 7 wa
obliged to hold to anything that came
in my way, and these melons could not
resist the force. "All right again."
said the gardener, "but who threw
them into this bag?" This was too much
Tor Nasartin's logic, and he could not
think of anything else to say, except
ing: We'll. / was just thinking about
that point myself when you Interrupted
me. This pleased the gardener so
much that he released his hold. and
Nasartin pursued his reflections unmo-
Tested.
Nasartin's Wife often complained to
her husband, saying: 1T is a shame
that you have never given me a picnic
near a river on the green grass. l have
never had anything that bore heavy on
your shoulders" (That is anything
that was cost or burden to him.)
Upon hearing this, one day Nasartin
TOOK his wife upon his back and, car
rying her into the garden, set her down
near large tub of water.
There he said. you unappreciatiye
woman Sit by this tub of water on the
green grass, and have all the fun you
want, and hereafter never complain
tfat you have never had any fun that
bore heavy on my shoulders"
One day while Nasartn was wander
ing around in the fields, he came across
a woman hanging from the branch of a
tree. Seeing this he ran to get a saw
and began eagerly to cut few branch
es from the same tree Some of his
friends finding him doing this. asked
what he was going to do with the
branches, to which he answered.: .'It
looks as though women like to hang