“Prepare some pancakes and some eggs for us.”

She prepared the pancakes and the eggs and served them with the food.

“O my sister,” cried Ou Ali, “my friend does not like eggs; bring us some water.”  She went to get the water.  As soon as she had gone, Ali took an egg and put it into his mouth.  When the woman returned, he made such efforts to give it up that he was all out of breath.  The repast was finished, and Ali had not eaten anything.  Ou Ali said to his sister:  “O my sister, my friend is ill; bring me a skewer.”  She brought him a skewer, which he put into the fire.  When the skewer was red with the heat, Ou Ali seized it and applied it to the cheek of Ali.  The latter uttered a cry, and rejected the egg.  “Truly,” said the woman, “you do not like eggs.”

The two friends started and arrived at a village.

“Let us go to my sister’s house,” said Ali to his friend.  She received them with open arms.

Ali said to her:  “O my sister, prepare a good stew for us.”

They placed themselves at the table at nightfall, and she served them with food.

“O my sister,” cried Ali, “my friend does not like stew.”

Ali ate alone.  When he was satisfied, the two friends started, without forgetting the treasure.  On the way Ali said to Ou Ali:  “Give it to me to-day and I will deposit it in my house.”  He took it and gave it to his wife.  “Bury me,” he said to her.  “And if Ou Ali comes tell him that his old friend is dead, and receive him with tears.”  Ou Ali arrived, and asked the woman in tears to see the tomb of his dead friend.  He took an ox-horn and began to dig in the earth that covered the body.

“Behind! behind!” cried the pretended dead man.

“Get up, there, you liar,” answered Ali.

They went away together.  “Give me the treasure,” asked Ou Ali; “to-day I will take it to my house.”  He took it to his house, and said to his wife:  “Take this treasure.  I am going to stretch myself out as if I were dead.  When Ali comes receive him weeping, and say to him:  ’Your friend is dead.  He is stretched out in the bedroom.’”

Ali went and said to the woman:  “Get me some boiling water, for your husband told me to wash him when he should die.”  When the water was ready the woman brought it.  Ali seized the kettle and poured it on the stomach of Ou Ali, who sprang up with a bound.  Thus he got even for the trick of his friend.  The two friends divided the treasure then, and Ali went home.

* * * * *

THE INFIDEL JEW

A man went on a journey.  At the moment of departure he placed with a Jew, his friend, a jar filled with gold.  He covered the gold with butter and said to the Jew:  “I trust to your care this jar of butter, as I am going on a journey.”  On his return he hastened to the house of his friend.  “Give me the jar of butter that I left with you,” he said.  The Jew gave it to him.  But the poor traveller found nothing but butter, for the Jew had taken the gold.  Nevertheless, he did not tell anybody of the misfortune that had happened to him.  But his countenance bore traces of a secret sorrow.  His brother perceived it, and said to him: