Told in the Coffee House: Turkish Tales. Allan Ramsay

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       Allan Ramsay, Cyrus Adler

      Told in the Coffee House: Turkish Tales

      Published by Good Press, 2019

       [email protected]

      EAN 4057664638670

Table of Contents

       PREFACE

       HOW THE HODJA SAVED ALLAH

       BETTER IS THE FOLLY OF WOMAN THAN THE WISDOM OF MAN

       THE HANOUM AND THE UNJUST CADI

       WHAT HAPPENED TO HADJI, A MERCHANT OF THE BEZESTAN

       HOW THE JUNKMAN TRAVELLED TO FIND TREASURE IN HIS OWN YARD

       HOW CHAPKIN HALID BECAME CHIEF DETECTIVE

       HOW COBBLER AHMET BECAME THE CHIEF ASTROLOGER

       THE WISE SON OF ALI PASHA

       THE MERCIFUL KHAN

       KING KARA-KUSH OF BITHYNIA

       THE PRAYER RUG AND THE DISHONEST STEWARD

       THE GOOSE, THE EYE, THE DAUGHTER, AND THE ARM

       THE FORTY WISE MEN

       HOW THE PRIEST KNEW THAT IT WOULD SNOW

       WHO WAS THE THIRTEENTH SON

       PARADISE SOLD BY THE YARD

       JEW TURNED TURK

       THE METAMORPHOSIS

       THE CALIF OMAR

       KALAIDJI AVRAM OF BALATA

       HOW MEHMET ALI PASHA OF EGYPT ADMINISTERED JUSTICE

       HOW THE FARMER LEARNED TO CURE HIS WIFE—A TURKISH ÆSOP

       THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS

       THE SWALLOW'S ADVICE

       WE KNOW NOT WHAT THE DAWN MAY BRING FORTH

       OLD MEN MADE YOUNG

       THE BRIBE

       HOW THE DEVIL LOST HIS WAGER

       THE EFFECTS OF RAKI

       ON THE FACE OF THE WATERS.

       TALES OF THE PUNJAB

       UNIFORM EDITION OF THE STORIES AND POEMS OF RUDYARD KIPLING.

       THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, 66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK.

PREFACE

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      In the course of a number of visits to Constantinople, I became much interested in the tales that are told in the coffee houses. These are usually little more than rooms, with walls made of small panes of glass. The furniture consists of a tripod with a contrivance for holding the kettle, and a fire to keep the coffee boiling. A carpeted bench traverses the entire length of the room. This is occupied by turbaned Turks, their legs folded under them, smoking nargilehs or chibooks or cigarettes, and sipping coffee. A few will be engaged in a game of backgammon, but the majority enter into conversation, at first only in syllables, which gradually gives rise to a general discussion. Finally, some sage of the neighborhood comes in, and the company appeals to him to settle the point at issue. This he usually does by telling a story to illustrate his opinion. Some of the stories told on these occasions are adaptations of those already known in Arabic and Persian literature, but the Turkish mind gives them a new setting and a peculiar philosophy. They are characteristic of the habits, customs, and methods of thought of the people, and for this reason seem worthy of preservation.

      Two of these tales have been taken from the Armenian, and were received from Dr. K. Ohannassian of Constantinople. For one, The Merciful Khan, I am indebted to Mr. George Kennan. None of them has been translated from any book or manuscript, and all are, as nearly as practicable, in the form in which they are usually narrated. Most of the stories have been collected by Mr. Allan Ramsay, who, by a long residence in Constantinople, has had special opportunities for learning to know the modern Turk. It is due to him, however, to say that for the style and editing he is in no wise responsible, and that all sins of omission and commission must be laid at my door.

      CYRUS ADLER.

      Cosmos Club, Washington,

       February 1, 1898.

HOW THE HODJA SAVED ALLAH

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      ot far from the famous Mosque Bayezid an old Hodja kept a