Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 7 1889.djvu/218

194 Fî wâhid râgil; gâb battîkh ’ande ’Ali: es-sitt tiksar el-battîkh we-hott es-samak fil gûwa. El-’âdi gai fîl ghada: ’âl lis-sitte betâ’o: hâtli wâhid battîkh. Hott wâhid battîkh wes-sikkîn: kassar el-battîkhah; notta samak hhâi. El-’âdi ’âl: es-samak fil-battîkh! hâtlî kamân wâhid battîkhah. Hott el-battîkh: kassar el-battîkhah; notte samak fîl battîkhah tâni. ’Al: khabberîyeh? samak fîl battîkh! lâzim tekallim lil-kûtubeh es-samak fîl battîkh: tilli’o fôq ’alashân yeshûf es samak fîl battîkh. Gâb lil-kûtubeh battîkhah; kassáru el-battîkhah: mâfîsh samak gûwa fîl battîkhah. Ubâdên ’âlu: el-’âdi magnûn waddoh fil muristân; ubâdên lamm’ yisa’aloh: es-sana kam shahr? ’âl: etnâsher shahr: wâhid shahr kam yôm? ye’ûlohôm: telatîn: esh-shahr kam gomâ’? ye’ûlohôm sitteh: weg-gumâ’ kam yôm? ye’ûl: t’manyah. Ye’ûloh: es-samak fên? ye’ûllohôm: fîl battîkh! ’âlu: el-’âdi lissa magnûn. Wâhid yôm es-sitte betâ’o sa’aloh: lamm’ yisa’alûk, es-samak fên? ’ûllohom: fîl bahhr. ’Âl-lahâ: es-samak fîl battîkh. ’Âlet-lo: es-samak fîl bahhr. ’Âllah: taiyyib! Lamma gûm sa’aloh; ’âlhohôm: es-samak fîl bahhr. ’Âlu lil-’âdi: tayyib! mûsh magnûn. Lamma râhh fîl bêt, ’âlet-lo ’s-sitt betâ-’o: lamma tegîlak ’âdîyeh, lâzim timshi doghri; ana hattêt es-samak fîl battîkh, ’alashân enta mâ timshish doghri. Ubâdên howa ’âllehâ: min en-nehar-deh ana amshi doghri.

"There was once a certain ’Ali; when he becomes a judge he consorts with women and not with men; so his wife grew angry. She said to her neighbour: 'My daughter!' She replied: 'Yes!' 'Take four piastres and go to the market; buy some live fish.' She bought the live fish. There was a man; he brought some watermelons to ’Ali's house. His wife cuts the melons in two and put the fish inside (them). The judge came to dinner: he said to his wife: 'Bring me a melon.' She brought a melon and the knife: he broke the melon in two: out jumped the live fish. The judge cried: 'The fish is in the melon! Bring me another melon.' She brought the melon; he broke the melon in two: out jumped another fish from the melon. He cried: 'What's the matter?—fish in melons!' 'You must tell the scribes that the fish are in the melons. Bring one of them up that he may see the fish in the melons.' A