P. 103.—Scott (vi. p. 403) makes the proclamation read, “Whoever presumes after the first watch of the night to have a lamp lighted in his house, shall have his head struck off, his goods confiscated, his house razed to the ground, and his women dishonoured.” A proclamation in such terms under the circumstances (though not meant seriously) would be incredible, even in the East.
STORY OF THE KAZI WHO BARE A BABE (pp. 167–185).
In the Esthonian Kalevipoeg we read of two giants who lay down to sleep on opposite sides of the table after eating a big supper of thick peas-soup. An unfortunate man was hidden under the table, and the consequence was that he was blown backwards and forwards between them all night.
HISTORY OF THE BHANG-EATER AND HIS WIFE (pp. 202–209).
Selling a bull or a cow in the manner described is a familiar incident in folk-lore; and in Rivière’s “Contes Populaires Kabyles” we find a variant of the present story under the title of “L’Idiot et le Coucou.” In another form, the cow or other article is exchanged for some worthless, or apparently worthless, commodity, as in Jack and the Bean-stalk; Hans im Glück; or as in the case of Moses in the Vicar of Wakefield. The incident of the fool finding a treasure occurs in Cazotte’s story of Xailoun.[[643]]
HOW DRUMMER ABU KASIM BECAME A KAZI (pp. 210–212).
I have heard an anecdote of a man who was sued for the value of a bond which he had given payable one day after the day of judgment. The judge ruled, “This is the day of judgment, and I order that the bill must be paid to-morrow!”
STORY OF THE KAZI AND HIS SLIPPER (pp. 212–215).
This story is well known in Europe, though not as forming part of The Nights. Mr. W. A. Clouston informs me that it first appeared in Cardonne’s “Mélanges de littérature orientale” (Paris, 1770), Cf. Nights x. App. pp. 509 and 512.