the whole circumstance.  The Cogia forthwith turning to the priests said, ’What are your questions?’ Then one of the priests, coming forward, said, ’May it please your Efendiship, my question is this:  “Where may the middle of the earth be?"’ Thereupon the Cogia, instantly dismounting from his ass, pointed with his staff to the fore foot of the ass, saying, ’The middle of the earth is the spot on which my ass’s foot stands.’  ’How do you know that?’ said the priest.  ‘If you doubt my words,’ said the Cogia, ‘take a measure and see whether it comes to more or less.’  Another of the priests coming forward said, ’How many stars are there in the face of the heaven above us?’ Said the Cogia, ’As many hairs as there are upon my ass so many stars are there in the heaven.’  ‘How do you know?’ said the priest.  ‘If you doubt,’ said the Cogia, ’come and count, and if there is any difference, say at once.’  ‘Have you counted, then,’ said the priest, ‘the hairs upon your ass?’ ’And have you counted how many stars there are?’ said the Cogia.  Then another priest coming forward said, ’If you can answer my question the whole of us will adopt your religion.’  ‘Speak,’ said the Cogia, ‘let us hear it.’  ’Tell me, O Cogia,’ said the priest, ’how many hairs there are in this beard of mine.’  ‘Just as many,’ said the Cogia, ’as there are hairs in my ass’s tail.’  ‘How do you know?’ said the priest.  ‘Soul of mine,’ said the Cogia, ‘if you don’t believe, come and count.’  The priest would not consent.  ‘If you will not consent,’ said the Cogia, ’come, let us pluck hair for hair from your beard and from the ass’s tail and see if they don’t tally.’  The priest, seeing that he had the worst of the argument, turned to the way of truth, and forthwith said to his companions, ’I embrace the faith of Islam,’ and acknowledged the unity of God.  The two others also with heart and soul embraced the true faith, and the whole three became servants and disciples of the Cogia.

Nasr Eddin Efendi one day placed three plums upon a great table and set out in order to carry them as a present to the Bey.  On the way the plums chancing to dance on this side and that the Cogia said, ’I will now eat you until I leave one to dance by itself.’  So the Cogia ate two of the plums, and carrying one upon the table, placed it before the Bey, who being very much delighted with the plum which the Cogia brought, presented him with a great deal of money.  The Cogia went home, and a few days after, taking a number of beetroots, set out again in order to carry them to the Bey.  As he was going along he met an individual, who said to the Cogia, ‘To whom are you carrying those things?’ ’I am carrying them to the Bey,’ said the Cogia.  ’If you were to carry him some figs instead,’ said the individual, ‘he would like it better.’  The Cogia instantly went and procured a few pounds of figs, which he carried to the Bey, who ordered his attendants to fling them all at his head.