Page:Islam, Turkey, and Armenia, and How They Happened.djvu/166

160 that was my grandfather's name; did you steal his name, little boy? Come here and let me see you." The father leads the child by the hand and taking him nearer to the teacher says, "Now, kneel down and kiss the lord teacher's hand." The teacher says "God bless you, my son." The father continues, "Now, lord teacher, his flesh is yours, his bones are mine; whenever he is disobedient and lazy you may punish him as you please; did you hear it?" Certainly; if he is an obedient boy I will love him just like the light of my eye, but if he is disobedient I will beat him as a dog and imprison him in the dark dungeon under this floor and nail his ear to the wall there and leave him to die with hunger and thirst. I am called crazy Haji, and if once my spirit gets up nobody can control me, even the governor cannot prevent me to do what I decide; I kill men under my feet." "That is all right, lord teacher; he is yours, not mine, do to him as you please. *** What will our debt be to you?" "May your good soul be alive, my dear neighbor; 'parents'' and teachers' labors can never be paid enough; may Allah recompense them in the future; still, as a small present for my labors and prayers, I will be content with one cent a week, and five bushels of wheat at harvest time, and several pounds of raisins at fall, and a pair of slippers when your son commences to read the first "juz" (part of the Koran), and a full suit of clothing when he finishes the sacred Koran, by Allah's help." "Very well; sir, all your orders upon my head (I agree), and for the love of Allah,