The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

132 THE LAUGHABLE STORIES OF BAR-HEBRiEUS.
"far as I am concerned, ye may curse me a thousand
"times; but do not then take a morsel of meat before
"I have done so."
CCCCXCVI. Another actor was asked, "What do
"comic actors resemble?" He replied, "A man whose
"left hand is filled with filth, and [who hath] his right
"hand [stretched out for]' alms, and [who saith] 'yes,'
and
"'no?' If ye do not^ say to him 'Take,' he causeth
"pollution^."
CCCCXCVII. Another actor having taken money
on loan from a certain man denied [that he had done
so], and having been brought before a judge, the
judge said to the owner of the money, "Hast thou
"any witnesses?" And the lender said, "No." The judge
said to the actor, "Swear now to me that thou hast
"not received the money," and the actor replied, "If
"thou wilt allow it, prithee let my brother swear for
"me, for I know certainly that he hath not taken any-
"thing."
CCCCXCVIII. Unto another actor it was said, "Dost
"thou wish that a dinar might be given to thee now?"
And he said, "Yes, only stop them from giving me
"twenty stripes with sticks." The people said to him,
"Why?" He said to them, "Because I know that the
"children of men of this age never give for nothing."
CCCCXCIX. Another actor was going about in Sebastia
{%. e., Siwas) in the winter season dressed in a new flaxen
garment, and a certain man said to him, "Give me
"this tunic of thine and thou wilt still have thy cloak,
"and thy Christ commanded thee to
give both thy tunic
^
Supply some word like jjl*4\S3 or .\iT°>. '
Read rdX ^r^d.
J /. e., "If you will not give me something I will throw dirt at you.''