or not”; I did it merely in jest.’  ‘Jest,’ said the Cogia, ’I know nothing of jest; I accepted the gold.’  ‘Come, come!’ said the Jew, ’we will go before the Judge.’  Said the Cogia, ‘I will not go on foot before the Judge.’  Thereupon the Jew brought the Cogia a mule.  ‘Very good,’ said the Cogia, ‘but I must now have a pelisse for my back.’  The Jew brought him the pelisse, and they set off to the tribunal of the Cadi.  The Cadi asking what they came for, the Jew said, ’This man took from me so many altoons and now he denies having done so.’  The Cadi looked in the Cogia’s face, whereupon the Cogia said, ’My Lord, I asked in prayer of the Most High a thousand altoons, which He gave.  On counting them, however, I found that one was wanting, whereupon I said, “He who gives so many altoons will doubtless give one more,” and I accepted them; but, my Lord, this Jew says that the pelisse which you see on my back, and the mule on which I am mounted, are also his.’  ‘Yes, assuredly, my Lord,’ said the Jew, ’for mine they are both.’  No sooner had he said these words than every one cried out, ‘Upon you, you Jew rascal,’ and, rushing upon him, they broke his head and kicked him out of the tribunal, and the Cogia was sent home to his house in triumph, not only with the altoons but the pelisse and the mule beside.

One day Cogia Efendi went to a bridal festival.  The master of the feast observing his old and wretched garments, paid him no consideration whatever.  The Cogia saw that he had no chance of notice; so going out he hurried to his house, and putting on a splendid pelisse, returned to the place of festival.  No sooner did he enter the door than the master advanced to meet him, and saying, ‘Welcome, Cogia Efendi,’ with all imaginable honour and reverence placed him at the head of the table, and said, ‘Please to eat, Lord Cogia.’  Forthwith the Cogia taking hold of one of the furs of his pelisse, said, ’Welcome, my pelisse, please to eat, my lord.’  The master looking at the Cogia with great surprise, said, ‘What are you about?’ Whereupon the Cogia replied, ’It is quite evident that all the honour paid is paid to my pelisse, so let it have some food too.’

Nasr Eddin Efendi going one day into a city, found the doctors of the law eating and drinking; no sooner did they see the Cogia than they showed him great honour, and brought him food.  It happened that that year was a year of famine, and the Cogia whilst eating and drinking, said to himself, ’No doubt this city must be one in which provisions are very cheap,’ and asked a man who was by him whether it were not so.  The man replied, ’Are you mad? this day is Beiram, every one according to his means cooks meat in his house and brings it forth, and on that account the food is plentiful.’  ‘Ah, my good man,’ said the Cogia, ’I wish that every day was Beiram.’