One day as the Cogia was conducting his ass to the market, the tail of the animal becoming draggled with mud, the Cogia cut it off and put it into a sack. Arriving at the market, he put up the ass to auction; and on a person crying out, ‘What is the use of this tailless creature?’ he said, ‘Don’t you leave your tail in the desert when you come to market?’
One day as the Cogia was coming from a distant place, his ass chanced to be very thirsty, when
all of a sudden they arrived at the margin of a pool. Unfortunately, however, the sides of the pool were very steep, and the ass of the Cogia, on seeing the water, not being able to restrain himself, ran forward to the pool. Just as he was falling in, the frogs of the pool began to croak violently; their voices frightening the ass, he ran back. The Cogia, however, seized hold of him, and exclaiming, ‘Bravo, ye birds of the pool!’ he took out a handful of aspres, and flung them into the pool, saying, ‘Here’s something for sweetmeats: take and eat.’
In the time of Cogia Nasr Eddin Efendi, three priests, who showed themselves versed in every kind of learning, travelling through the world, at last came to the country of the Soldan Ala Eddin. The Emperor invited them to accept the true faith; whereupon the three said, ‘Each one of us has a question to ask, and if you can give us an answer, we will adopt your religion.’ All agreed to this condition; and Soldan Ala Eddin having assembled his ulemas and sheiks, not one of them was able to make any reply to the questions of the strangers. The Soldan Ala Eddin was very much incensed and mortified, and exclaimed, ‘So there is not one of the ulemas and sheiks in the countries beneath my jurisdiction who can answer these fellows.’ Whereupon one of the ulemas replied, ‘Though none of us can answer these questions, perhaps Cogia Nasr Eddin Efendi can.’ The Emperor, on hearing these words, gave orders to his Tartar
messengers to go in quest of Nasr Eddin Efendi. The Tartars, with all imaginable speed, went their way, and having found the Cogia, communicated to him the commands of the Sultan. Nasr Eddin, that moment saddling his ass, took his staff in his hand, and mounting the animal, said to the Tartar, ‘Lead the way and set off straight for the palace of Soldan Ala Eddin.’ On his arrival, he went into the presence of the Emperor, to whom he said, ‘Salaam,’ and received the same salutation from the Sultan, who, pointing out a place to him, bade him sit down. Said the Cogia to the Emperor, after wishing him a blessing, ‘For what may it have pleased you to summon me?’ Whereupon the Soldan Ala Eddin told him the whole circumstance. The Cogia forthwith turning to the priests said, ‘What are your questions?’ Then one of the priests, coming forward, said, ‘May it please your Efendiship, my question is this: “Where may the middle of the earth be?”’ Thereupon the Cogia, instantly dismounting from his ass, pointed with his staff to the fore foot of the ass, saying, ‘The middle of the earth is the spot on which my ass’s foot stands.’ ‘How do you know that?’ said the priest. ‘If you doubt my words,’ said the Cogia, ‘take a measure and see whether it comes to more or less.’ Another of the priests coming forward said, ‘How many stars are there in the face of the heaven above us?’ Said the Cogia, ‘As many hairs as there are upon my ass so many stars are there in the heaven.’ ‘How do you know?’ said the priest.
‘If you doubt,’ said the Cogia, ‘come and count, and if there is any difference, say at once.’ ‘Have you counted, then,’ said the priest, ‘the hairs upon your ass?’ ‘And have you counted how many stars there are?’ said the Cogia. Then another priest coming forward said, ‘If you can answer my question the whole of us will adopt your religion.’ ‘Speak,’ said the Cogia, ‘let us hear it.’ ‘Tell me, O Cogia,’ said the priest, ‘how many hairs there are in this beard of mine.’ ‘Just as many,’ said the Cogia, ‘as there are hairs in my ass’s tail.’ ‘How do you know?’ said the priest. ‘Soul of mine,’ said the Cogia, ‘if you don’t believe, come and count.’ The priest would not consent. ‘If you will not consent,’ said the Cogia, ‘come, let us pluck hair for hair from your beard and from the ass’s tail and see if they don’t tally.’ The priest, seeing that he had the worst of the argument, turned to the way of truth, and forthwith said to his companions, ‘I embrace the faith of Islam,’ and acknowledged the unity of God. The two others also with heart and soul embraced the true faith, and the whole three became servants and disciples of the Cogia.
Nasr Eddin Efendi one day placed three plums upon a great table and set out in order to carry them as a present to the Bey. On the way the plums chancing to dance on this side and that the Cogia said, ‘I will now eat you until I leave one to dance by itself.’ So the Cogia ate two of the plums, and carrying one upon the table,
placed it before the Bey, who being very much delighted with the plum which the Cogia brought, presented him with a great deal of money. The Cogia went home, and a few days after, taking a number of beetroots, set out again in order to carry them to the Bey. As he was going along he met an individual, who said to the Cogia, ‘To whom are you carrying those things?’ ‘I am carrying them to the Bey,’ said the Cogia. ‘If you were to carry him some figs instead,’ said the individual, ‘he would like it better.’ The Cogia instantly went and procured a few pounds of figs, which he carried to the Bey, who ordered his attendants to fling them all at his head. Some of the figs striking the Cogia’s head, he forthwith began to cry out, ‘Thank God, thank God!’ ‘How is this, Cogia?’ said they. ‘Why do you thank God?’ ‘I was bringing a great quantity of beetroots,’ said the Cogia, ‘but meeting an individual on the road, he advised me to bring these instead. Now if I had brought beetroots, my head would have been broken.’
The Cogia going on another day to visit the Bey, the Bey took him out a-hunting, but mounted him on a good-for-nothing horse. As they were hunting, it began to rain; every one escaped by means of his horse, but the good-for-nothing horse would scarcely move. The Cogia forthwith stripping himself naked, took his garments and sat down upon them. No sooner was the rain over, than he got up, and having dressed himself, he went to the Bey. Said the Bey, ‘It
is a wonder you escaped a wetting.’ Said the Cogia, ‘I was mounted on a horse that was a great goer, he flew away with me so fast that I escaped the rain.’ The Bey believed every word that he said. On another day the Bey again went out a-hunting, but he now rode that same horse himself, whilst the Cogia was mounted on another; now it so pleased God that it again began to rain, every one escaped as fast as he could, but the Bey on the good-for-nothing horse was left behind, and at last reached home, creeping along like a crane. He was very much incensed at what the Cogia had told him, and the next day addressed him in this manner: ‘Was it fit and proper that you should tell me the lie you did, and cause me to be wet through by the rain which God sent?’ Said the Cogia, ‘Why are you angry with me? Why had you not sense enough to strip off your clothes as I did, and sit upon them, and when the rain was over, dress yourself and come here?’