The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

LAUGHABLE STORIES OF ACTORS AND COMEDIANS.
I 3 I
the roof, and then another and another. And looking
up he said to his handmaiden, "Go up to the roof and
"see if the sun hath set;" and having gone up and
tarried for a season, she came down and said, "Yes."
His friend then said to him, "Didst thou not know that
"the sun had set and that darkness reigned?" And he
answered, saying, "Yes, how could I help knowing it?
"But unless I had made the girl go up with some such
"excuse as this to those who wanted her, they would
"never have ceased calling her and making signs to
"her to go up.
Dost thou understand?" He said to him,
"Yes, I understand."
CCCCXCIV. Whilst another comic actor was in the
comipany of a judge, a certain woman came in with
her face covered, and her eyes, which were very beautiful,
alone were visible; and she began to weep and
to make railing accusations against her adversary. And
the actor said to the judge, "Believe [me], this woman
"is an evil-speaking person, but her eyes proclaim her
"to be suffering oppression." And having spoken further
and at great length she uncovered her face, and behold
she
had on her face a most hideous nose [as flat]
as a sixpence; and when he had eyed her closely the
actor said to the judge, "Nay, my lord, although her
"eyes shew that she is an injured woman, yet her nose
"testifieth that she is a liar and an abominable person,
"and she is not worthy that any man should shew pity
"upon her."
CCCCXCV. Another actor whilst eating with his
children at table [observed] that they seized their meat
before he could do so, and ate it, and he said to
them, "Take heed, now, for the Law commandeth [you,
"saying], 'Honour thy father and thy mother,' now, as