Page:Islam, Turkey, and Armenia, and How They Happened.djvu/163

Rh "My lamb," "Crazy kid," "Sly fox," "My lion," "Black lion," "Black calf," "My son," "My father," "My brother." In ten minutes he may call the same boy "Donkey" and "My brother," according to the demand of the circumstances.

2. The Piety of the Hoja Effendi. Let us not forget to say that our "lord teacher" has also the charge of the muezzin crier, and the leadership in public prayer of the mosque. It is about noon; the children are very tired of sitting and crying their lessons since the sunrise, also feel very hungry for food and for mischief. The approach of the "noon-bread," as they call it, makes them very uncontrollable. The teacher cries with a loud voice and says, "You hog-pigs! you begin to dig the ground again. You are almost perished by hunger, Allah may grant me to see you all perished in one day. No more patience, impatient dogs! Bring the copper pitcher, let me have my ablution for noon-prayer, and then I will send you away; you better had gone to 'jehenem' (hell)! You made my head swell by causing me to speak so much this morning; may your heads be swelled like pumpkins and boiled in the kettle! Bring that pitcher to me." In spite of the insulting tone of this habitual lecture the pupils run eagerly to fill the pitcher with cold water and bring it to the teacher. The teacher cries, "Ah! you will break it; that is a heritage to me from my grand-father; may Allah have mercy on his soul! Be careful, whosoever breaks that pitcher, by my religion and faith, I will surely crush his skull. You