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. Some of