The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

126 THE LAUGHABLE STORIES OF BAR-HEBR^US.
"nothing from thee," And he commanded his servant
to bring him a bag of zuze, and a pair of scales, and a
mirror, and he weighed out to him the amount which
he required. And when he had taken the money the
man of the market put the mirror into his hands, and
said unto him, "Look, now, at thy face in the mirror
"and see how joyful it is on the day whereon thou
"borrowest money and receivest it. Take care, now, that
"thy countenance be thus gladsome, and not gloomy
"on the day whereon thou must pay it back."
CCCCLXXXV. A certain merchant having bought
a crate full of glass vessels wanted some one to carry
it to his home with him, and when a certain youth
came to carry it, he said to him, "Take it, and ask no
"hire of me, and I will teach thee three counsels whereby
"thou shalt live nobly." And when the youth hath
shouldered the crate and had gone one third of the
way he said to the merchant, "Teach me, now, one of
"the three counsels." And the merchant said to him,
"This is one of them:—If any man say unto thee, 'Hunger
'"is better than satiety,' believe him never a whit." And
when the youth had gone one half of the way, he said
to him, "Tell me, now, the second counsel." And the
merchant said to him, "If any man say unto thee, 'It is
"'better to walk than to ride,' believe him never a whit."
And when the youth had come to the house he said,
"Teach me, now, the third counsel." And the merchant
said unto him, "If any man shall tell thee that he hath
"found any man who will
carry a load for hire less than
"thine, believe him never a whit." Then the youth cast
the crate upon the ground and the glass vessels which
were in it were broken to pieces and crushed into
dust, and he said to the merchant, "If any man saith