The effects of a merchant, who was greatly in debt, being on sale, one bought a pillow, saying, That it must be good to sleep on, since he could sleep on it, who owed so much.
The same merchant being asked, how he could sleep with such debts upon him? said, The wonder is, how my creditors could sleep.
A Gallician, being at the war of Granada, received a wound in the head with an arrow. The surgeon arriving, said, upon examination, You are a dead man, the arrow has pierced your brain. The Gallician said, Look again, for that is impossible. The surgeon replied, It is so; I see it plain. It cannot be, said the Gallician: for if I had any brain, I should not have been here.
A man went to borrow an ass of a neighbour, who said the ass was from home. Meanwhile the animal chanced to bray: upon which the borrower exclaimed, How! did you not tell me the ass was abroad? The other replied, in a passion, Will you prefer the ass’s word to mine?
A passenger going to Peru, a great storm arose; and the master of the vessel ordered, that the most burdensome articles that every one had should be thrown into the sea, to lighten the vessel. Upon which this passenger ran and brought up his wife, saying, That she was the most burdensome article he had.