Page:Tales from the Gulistan (1928).pdf/258

On the Effects of Education He said: "No! I take pity on their state!"

I replied: "No! thou enviest them their wealth."

We were thus contending with each other, every pawn he put forward I endeavoured to repel, and every time he announced check to my king, I covered him with my queen, until he had gambled away all his ready cash and had shot off all the arrows of his quiver in arguing.

Have a care; do not throw away the shield when attacked by an orator who has nothing except borrowed eloquence to show; practise thou religion and Ma'rifet because a suja speaking orator displays weapons at the gate, and no one is in the fort.

At last no arguments remained to him, and, having been defeated, he commenced to speak nonsense, as is the custom of ignorant men, who, when they can no more address proofs against their opponent, shake the chin of enmity like the idol-carver Azer, who, being unable to overcome his son [Abraham] in argument, began to quarrel with him, [saying] 'If thou forbearest not I will surely stone thee.' The man insulted me, I spoke harshly to him, he tore my collar and I caught hold of his chincase [i.e. of his beard], he falling upon me and I on him, crowds running after us and laughing, the finger of astonishment of a world on the teeth, from what was said and heard by us. In short we carried our dispute to the Qâzi, and agreed to abide by a just decision of the judge of Mussalmâns, who would investigate the affair, and tell the difference between the rich and the poor.

When the Qâzi had seen our state and heard our logic, he plunged his head into his collar, and, after meditating for a