they met, "My dear friend, I never got the letter that you wrote me about
the books."

14. A wittol, a barber, and a bald-headed man travelled together. Losing
their way, they were forced to sleep in the open air; and, to avert danger,
it was agreed to keep watch by turns. The lot first fell on the barber,
who, for amusement, shaved the fool's head while he slept; he then woke
him, and the fool, raising his hand to scratch his head, exclaimed, "Here's
a pretty mistake; rascal! you have waked the bald-headed man instead of
me."

15. A citizen, seeing some sparrows in a tree, went beneath and shook it,
folding out his hat to catch them as they fell.

16. A foolish fellow, having a house to sell, took a brick from the wall
to exhibit as a sample.

17. A man meeting his friend, said, "I spoke to you last night in a dream."
"Pardon me," replied the other, "I did not hear you."

18. A man that had nearly been drowned while bathing, declared that he
would not again go into the water until he had learned to swim.

(To understand the next, we must premise that a horse with his first teeth
was called by the Greeks "a first thrower.")

19. A man selling a horse was asked if it was a first thrower. "By Jove,"
said he, "he's a second thrower, for he threw both me and my father."

20. A fellow had to cross a river, and entered the boat on horseback;