Page:Swahili tales.djvu/75

Rh And the third arose and said, "Ho! aren't clouds the sign of rain? And we have had no signs of his getting anything."

And the Muhadim arose and said, "I, gentlemen, shall go and attend to him who is calling me, for I started from my home in the country till I got here, and I have been called by many people, not less than fifty, if not more, and there was not one who bought. And all these have property, not as though they were poor, and they did not buy, well and I showed them all, and they looked, and then went and told me, 'Take them away.' Wherever I go this is my business. 'Bring the gazelles!' I take them; they look. 'Ah, that will do, they are dear, take them away.' And I do so. I get up and go forward. 'O you, Muhadim, oh you bring the gazelles, bring them;' and I take them and put them down, and they look. 'Ah, beautiful gazelles, but dear; take the gazelles away.' And I take them away, and I am not vexed. It is the custom of a carrier of merchandize to be called hither and thither, to put it down and take it up; and I am not vexed, because it's the custom of trade: you don't know who will buy; you say perhaps this one will buy, this one will buy, till you find a buyer, till some one buys."

"That will do, you pay no attention to our words; you bring out plenty of words and plenty of questions; go your way, poor man."

Well, those three said, M! now let us follow him, and see whether that poor man will really buy."

"Eh! master, where is he to get it? what words are these? 'M! one can't see the signs of a man's getting anything. 'M! ever since his wife died he has spent his property and gone into dissipation, at least for three years; he has no experience of hot food in his belly. Now a man who can't get hot food in his belly, not one day in ten, will