The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

136 THE LAUGHABLE STORIES OF BAR-HEBR.EUS.
a sieve laid upon his couch, and he went and hung
himself up on the peg in the wall. His wife said to
him, "What is this? Art thou possessed of a devil?"
And he said to her, "Nay, but when I saw the sieve
"in my place, I went to its place."
DXV. A certain woman asked her neighbour,
saying,
"Why should a man have power to buy a handmaiden
"and to lie with her and to do whatsoever he pleaseth
"with her, while a woman hath no power to do any
"such things freely and openly?" And she said to her,
"Because the kings, and the judges, and the lawgivers
"are all men; and they have therefore acted the parts
"of advocates of their own causes and have oppressed
"the women."
DXVI. Another actor went to a certain merchant
and begged him to lend him a hundred silver zuze,
and he said to him, "What wilt thou deposit with me
"as surety?" And the actor said, "I have no pledge
"[to leave], but I will write thee an acknowledgment,
'•so that at the time of payment if I do not produce
"witnesses [to swear] that I have paid thee I will swear
"[it myself] without either reason or speech."
DXVII. Another actor said to his servant, "When
"thou goest on any business' and returnest, if it be
"ended satisfactorily say 'Wheat,' and if not say 'Barley.'"
And one day when he had gone and returned, the
actor asked him, "Wheat or Barley?" and he replied,
"Something quite different." The actor said, "What
"meanest thou?" And the servant said, "Not only did
"they not perform the business on which I went, but
"they cursed me and beat me."
^ 7. e., Arab. ,J-i-io.