The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

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THE LAUGHABLE STORIES OF BAR-HEBR^US.
DCCII. The man whose eyes are absolutely colourless
is a fool, even like the goat.
DCCIII. He that hath hair overmuch on his breast and
belly hath neither foundation nor stability in his actions,
and is even as are certain feathered fowl.
DCCIV. He that hath no hair upon his breast is
an impudent man, and he is even like unto a woman;
but he that hath hair upon his breast is even like
a lion.
DCCV, He whose hair covereth his forehead is a
man who is fitted naturally to be a slave.
DCCVI. He whose steps are long behaveth wickedly
in his actions: and he is accounted excellent, even as
is the lion, especially if there be a sound [when he
moveth] his
arms.
DCCVII. He whose eyes have swift motions is a
plunderer, even as the hawk.
DCCVIII. He that hath a dense body is a fool like
unto the ass, especially if he hath a loud voice.
DCCIX. The man who at the beginning speaketh
with a loud voice and endeth his speech in a thin,
small voice is one who grieveth and who beareth many
burdens like the ox.
DCCX. The man whose voice is feeble is timid like
the lamb, and he whose voice is sharp and disjointed
is a fool like the goat.
DCCXI. The man who reigneth when yet exceedingly
young, that is to say in his childhood, being naturally
of a good disposition, will not live to an old age, and
in his hands the sovereignty will pass from his race,
and things will happen in his time which have never
happened before. Similarly, if a man reign in the prime
of life, and he be naturally of a wicked, avaricious, and