My patience came to an end, and I reversed the order of things, and started an inquisition of my own.
“Why do you wear a torquoise ring?”[57] I enquired severely.
“What?”
“I say, why do you wear a torquoise ring?—it is improper in my country.”
“I came here as a friend, why do you ask such unkind and ridiculous questions?” he asked in a hurt tone.
“Because,” I replied, “in my country of Shiraz there is a saying, ‘He who annoys the stranger by inquisitiveness, seeks after such abuse and ridicule that ill-manners may call forth from the tormented!’”
SULAIMANIAN PLEASANTRY
Frowning with indignation, he gathered his gay cloak about him and departed swiftly, not even deigning to answer my farewell. Five minutes afterwards the caravanserai keeper came to the door somewhat perturbed, and informed me that he who had come as a friend and gone as an enemy was owner of the place and mayor of the town, Ghafur Agha himself.
In those first few days there, I found out how the Sulaimanian deems himself entitled to treat the stranger; and to complete the lesson, the day before I left for Halabja, I was hauled up by a seller of enamelled-ware plates, sherbet glasses, matches, and pedlary generally.
“Ra wussa!” I heard in stentorian tones behind my ear.