The old man, looking half amused and half angry, pushed back the knife, muttering something to the effect that his friend was either a fool himself, or else trying to play the fool with him.  The young man pretended not to notice his reply, and remained almost silent till they reached the city, a short distance outside which was the old farmer’s house.  They walked about the bazaar and went to the mosque, but nobody saluted them or invited them to come in and rest.

“What a large cemetery!” exclaimed the young man.

“What does the man mean,” thought the old farmer, “calling this largely populated city a cemetery?”

On leaving the city their way led through a graveyard where a few people were praying beside a tomb and distributing chapatis and kulchas to passers-by, in the name of their beloved dead.  They beckoned to the two travelers and gave them as much as they would.

“What a splendid city this is!” said the young man.

“Now, the man must surely be demented!” thought the old farmer.  “I wonder what he will do next?  He will be calling the land water, and the water land; and be speaking of light where there is darkness, and of darkness when it is light.”  However, he kept his thoughts to himself.

Presently they had to wade through a stream that ran along the edge of the cemetery.  The water was rather deep, so the old farmer took off his shoes and pajamas and crossed over; but the young man waded through it with his shoes and pajamas on.

“Well!  I never did see such a perfect fool, both in word and in deed,” said the old man to himself.

However, he liked the fellow; and thinking that he would amuse his wife and daughter, he invited him to come and stay at his house as long as he had occasion to remain in the village.

“Thank you very much,” the young man replied; “but let me first inquire, if you please, whether the beam of your house is strong.”

The old farmer left him in despair, and entered his house laughing.

“There is a man in yonder field,” he said, after returning their greetings.  “He has come the greater part of the way with me, and I wanted him to put up here as long as he had to stay in this village.  But the fellow is such a fool that I cannot make anything out of him.  He wants to know if the beam of this house is all right.  The man must be mad!” and saying this, he burst into a fit of laughter.

“Father,” said the farmer’s daughter, who was a very sharp and wise girl, “this man, whosoever he is, is no fool, as you deem him.  He only wishes to know if you can afford to entertain him.”

“Oh, of course,” replied the farmer.  “I see.  Well, perhaps you can help me to solve some of his other mysteries.  While we were walking together he asked whether he should carry me or I should carry him, as he thought that would be a pleasanter mode of proceeding.”

“Most assuredly,” said the girl; “he meant that one of you should tell a story to beguile the time.”