Sherani Folktales

Humor of the Great

There was a vazir named Masur who was fond of practical jests. One day he went to a peasant's dwelling where the house-holder was absent but his wife and children were at home. He sat near the fireplace and looked intently at the children, so that they were afraid and went out. While the wife was busy with her domestic affairs, he took up unobserved a pitcher of ghi (Butter made from buffalo's milk, clarified by boiling, so as to resemble oil in consistency) and poured it all into the pot which contained vegetables to be cooked and lighted a fire under it. When it was ready, and the woman, being at leisure, asked her guest to cook his food, he replied that he would be content to eat from the family pot, and, taking some vegetables out into another vessel, ate happily as much as he wanted. He then asked for a warm wrapping to sleep in. She gave him a carpet, and he went to the nearest mosque. There he put the carpet over one of the sleepers, and himself slept in another corner of the mosque.

About midnight the peasant came home and asked for food.

His wife gave him what was left in the cooking pot. While he was eating, he remarked that today she had used a great deal of ghi. She replied that she had not done so, and there was a quarrel. She then said that a guest had been sitting in the house, and might have poured the ghi while she was busy. On looking at the pitcher they found it empty. The peasant, therefore, being angry, asked where the guest had gone. She replied that he had received a carpet from her and gone to sleep in the mosque. The peasant went to the mosque and, seeing the carpet, and without making any enquiry, struck several blows with his stick on the poor fellow beneath. The humoursome vazir got up and went away, saying,-" One who eats up all the ghi deserves such a reward." In this way he caused the innocent sleeper to be beaten, but himself escaped punishment.

Source: Sir Lucas King., Sherani Folktales

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