Page:Mount Seir, Sinai and Western Palestine.djvu/90

64 Perhaps I may here relate another of Ibraham's tales. It is about the origin of the Dabour tribe; “Dabour” in Arabic means “a wasp.”

Once a pious Bedawin, seeing with pity the ignorant state of his friends around him, determined to make a journey to Cairo “to buy some Khoran,” and so to teach them how to pray. So he collects together all his money and effects, and after a long journey arrives at Cairo. There, a stranger and unbefriended, he enters a coffee-house, where he meets a man to whom he recounts the object of his visit. “Very good,” says the man, “how much money have you got?” “Four dollars,” replies the Arab. “Well,” says the other, “that is enough to buy some Khoran; hand the money over to me, and to-morrow I will bring you what you require.”

So the poor Bedawin hands over his four dollars, and his considerate friend appoints a convenient place where he may receive the Khoran next day. Accordingly at the time appointed the two meet each other, and the stranger pulls out a leathern bag tied at the mouth with a string, and says, “This is the Khoran, put your ear to it and you will hear the Khoran speak.” So the Arab applies his ear to the bag, and hears, buzz—buzz—buzz. “Now,” says the man, “take this home, and when you arrive call all your friends together, then put the Khoran on your head, and tie the string tight; tell all your friends to say exactly what you say, and to do exactly as you do;—and then they will know how to pray aright.”

So in due course the Bedawin returns to his family and friends with “the Khoran,” and having assembled them together around him, says: “Here is the Khoran, which will teach you how to pray. Now, when I put it on my head, you do what I do, and say exactly what I say.” He then proceeds to open the bag very carefully and to insert his head therein, tying the string tight; the wasps which the bag contained naturally resent this intrusion, and proceed to show their resentment in the usual way. So, presently, the Bedawin exclaims, “Oh, Allah, Allah, help, help!” All exclaim, “Oh, Allah, help, help!” The Bedawin, “Oh, I shall die!” All, “Oh, I shall die!” (oft repeated). He then falls to the ground, rolling and kicking about vigorously; all follow his example. This goes on for a little time, and with a probable termination in accord with the poor Bedawin’s exclamation, when “a sensible man” happens to pass by, and says, “What are you all doing, what is it all about?” So the people explain that their friend in the centre has got the Khoran on his head, and is showing them how to pray. “But,” says the man of sense, “that