The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

STORIES OF LUNATICS AND OF MEN POSSESSED OF DEVILS. I
5 /
DCXXV. Another demoniac went round about the
market, saying, "He that would be an excellent man,
"let him learn that which I know not. For when he
"saith, 'I know not,' men will teach him to know; and
"when he saith, 'I know,' those who ask questions will
"prove to him that he is ignorant by means of hard
"questions."
DCXXVI. Another demoniac, having laid hold upon
a man, threw him down under him and was choking
him, when certain folk came and rescued the man from
him. And when they were beating him they asked
him why he did this, and he said, "If he did not wish
"to be choked why did he fall under me.'' And he did
"not suffer for a moment in my hands."
DCXXVII. Another madman said, "I wish to eat
"sweetmeats and dung," whereupon certain folk who
heard him, said, "Let us bring both to him, and we
"shall see how he will eat them." And when they had
brought them to him he began to eat the sweetmeat
and left the dung where it was, saying, "I suspect that
"there is poison in this dung, but if ye wish me to
"eat it without a doubt, do ye also eat a portion
"thereof and I will eat the remainder."
DCXXVIII. Another madman went up to
a polished
pillar and said, "Who will give me a zuza for going
"up to the top?" And when certain folk had given him
the ziiza, he took it and said, "Bring me now a ladder,"
and the people said, "Did we agree with thee [to climb
"it] with a ladder?" The madman said, "Ye certainly
"did not agree with me to do it without one, ye only
"stipulated that I should go up."
DCXXIX. Another madman said to a certain teacher,
"What manner of words are these which are uttered