"It is the effect of your Majesty's wonderful drumsticks," replied the Khoja. "If you were to eat one of them, you yourself would undoubtedly become four-legged."
Tale 47.—The Khoja Rewards the Frogs.
Khoja Nasr-ed-Deen Effendi had been riding his donkey for some miles. It was very hot, and the Khoja dismounted to ease his beast. At this moment they came within sight of a pond, and the donkey smelling the water set off towards it as hard as he could canter.
The side of the pond was very steep, and in its haste the donkey would probably have fallen in, but that the frogs set up such a terrific croaking at its approach that the beast, in alarm, turned sharply round, and was caught by its master.
The Khoja was not wanting in grateful and liberal feelings.
"Well done, my little pond-birds!" said he, throwing a handful of coins into the water. "Divide that among you to buy sweetmeats with."
Tale 48.—The Khoja reproaches his Cock.
Once upon a time the Khoja was carrying his fowls in a cage to the city for sale.
As he went along he began to feel sorry for them.