The Laughable Stories Collected by Mar Gregory John

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146 THE LAUGHABLE STORIES OF BAR-HEBR^US.
over again, and found them [to be] ten. And he mounted
an ass again, and counted the others and found them
[to be] nine; thereupon he dismounted and counted
[them], and found them [to be] ten. Then he said,
"Verily there is a devil with me, for whenever I mount
"an ass I lose one of them; therefore I must not ride
"lest I lose one altogether." Thus he travelled over
the whole country on foot, for he dared not mount
one of them.
DLXX. Stultus quidam qui catharticum sibi adhibuerat
in aedificium dirutum se contulit ventrem evacuatum;
cum autem subligacula solvere voluit, tunicae ligamina
recinxit ut ubi consederat ventrem in chlamydem
exoneraret.
DLXXI. Now the son of a certain silly man died,
and as they were letting him down into the grave, the
father said to the men, "Let him rest on his right
"side, for [to lie] this way is much better and more con-
"venient for the digestion of the food."
DLXXII. A foolish old woman having gone to visit
a sick man said unto his masters, "Believe me, I have
"become very old and infirm, and I am not always
"able to go in and come out. Therefore when this
"man dieth—may God preserve your lives! — do not
"blame me if I am unable to come to his burial."
DLXXIII. Another fool whose hawk had escaped
asked the governor to shut the gates of the city until
he had caught him.
DLXXI V. Stultus alius quidam interrogatus, "Quot
"annos natam filiam in matrimonium tradidisti.'^*' "Nescio
"hercle" respondit, "hoc tamen scio me istam spopon-
"disse verendis cum maxime istius lanugine tectis. Com-
"putate ergo quot annos natae verenda lanugo tegat."