Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-02-26
ANCIENT TESTS.
A Familiar Tale Told In Many Gen.
turtles and Languages.


Most of the iests that have been
current in English speaking coun-
tries for centuries are known also
throughout Europe. Students OF
folklore assure us that to a great
extent these jests are OF Asiatic
origin, many of them having come
from China and Japan, and some
are thousands Of years old.
Take, for instance, the well
known story of the impudent Irish
man at an inn who looked over a
mans shoulder while he was writ
ing a letter. When he read, 81 have
much more to say to you, but 2 fell
low is looking over my shoulder and
reading all l write" he cried out,
Faith, sir, haven't read wordP
This story is found in the Spring
Garden" of Jami, the last of the
great Persian poets Of the fifteenth
century.
The story of the countryman who
tried to pick up a paving stone to
throw al a savage dog and, finding
that stone and all others rammed
tightly into the ground, declared
that these were strange folks who
fastened the stones and let loose
their dogs was told in the thir-
tenth century by another Persian
poet, the illustrious Sadi,
One authority in folklore traces
a familiar tale from the ancient
Hindoo collection, Ocean Of the
Rivers Of Narrative" through va
rious versions, in many centuries
and languages,
The Hindoo tale is in brief some
thing like this: A rich man said to
his treasurer in the hearing Of a
musician who had entertained him,
"Give this man 1000 panas." The
treasurer. replying that he would do
as ordered, went out. The minstrel
asked for the panas, but was re-
fused. On appealing to the rich
man the musician received this re-
Spouse: "What did you give me that
| should make a return? You af-
forded a short lived pleasure to my
ears by playing on the Tyre, and !
gave a short lived pleasure to your
ears by promising you money"
In Gladwin's Persian Moonshee"
a poor poet recites verses in praise
Of a wealthy man, who promises
him a quantity Of grain, but later
SAYS to him: "You are a blockhead!
You delighted me with words, and
I pleased YOU in like manner. Why,
then, should give you grain?"
Lucian tells of philosopher that
complained to his pupil because his
fees we're eleven days in arrears and
was thus answered by the youths
uncle: pray let us hear no more
complaints of the injustice you sup
pose YOU have had at our hands,
since it simply amounts to this-we
have bought words of you and till
now have paid you in the same
coin"
In ~Jacke of Dover, His Quest Of
Inquire For the Foole Of All
Fooles," an English jest book Of the
sixteenth century, there is a tale
almost precisely like the Hindoo
narrative.
A japanese story says that Kisa-
buro, man Of economic spirit, took
lodgings on the side of a market for
cells. The appetizing odor of fried
cells entered his dining room and
seasoned his bowl of rice. The man
with the cells presented his bill for
the odor of the fish. Kisaburo laid
out the money asked for on the bill
and began to chat with him. When
the man was about to leave Kisabu-
70 put the money back into his
pocket, replying to the others re-
monstrance: "You ask me for pay
ment for the smell of your fried
fish. l do the same for the sight Of
my money" This story was known
in Europe in the fourteenth CEN
tury.-Chicago Record-Herald.
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