Tale 21.—The Day of the Month.
One day Khoja Effendi walked into the bazaar. As he went about among the buyers and sellers, a man came up to him and said, "Is it the third or fourth day of the month to-day?"
"How should I know?" replied the Khoja. "I don't deal in the moon."
Tale 22.—The Khoja's Dream.
One night when he was asleep the Khoja dreamed that he found nine pieces of money.
"Bountiful heaven!" said he, "let me have been mistaken. I will count them afresh. Let there be ten!" And when he counted them there were ten. Then he said, "Let there be nineteen!" And vehemently contending for nineteen he awoke. But when he was awake and found that there was nothing in his hands, he shut his eyes again, and stretching his hands out said, "Make it nine pieces, I'll not say another word."
Tale 23.—The Old Moon.
One day some of the neighbours said, "Let us ask this Khoja something that will puzzle him, and see what he will say." So they came to the Khoja and said, "The moon is on the wane, Khoja Effendi, and we shall soon have a new one; what will be done with the old moon?"
"They will break it up and make stars of it," said the Khoja.