DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4393#0167
THEBES TO ASS UAN. 149
money. Have you no imitation scarabs, new and service-
able, that one might wear without the fear of breaking
them?"
"These are imitations. 0 sitt!" was the ready answer.
" But you told me a moment ago they were genuine
anteekahs."
" That was because I thought the sitt wanted to buy
anteekahs," he said, quite shamelessly.
" See now," I said, " if you are capable of selling me
new things for old, how can I be sure that you would not
sell me old things for new?"
To this he replied by declaring that he had made the
scarabs himself. Then, fearing I should not believe him,
he pulled a scrap of coarse paper from his bosom, borrowed
one of my pencils, and drew an asp, an ibis, and some
other common hieroglyphic forms, with tolerable dexterity.
"Now you believe?" he asked, triumphantly.
"I see that you can make birds and snakes," I replied;
" but that neither proves that you can cut scarabs, nor
that these scarabs are new."
" Nay, sitt," he protested, " I made them with these
hands. I made them but the other day. By Allah! they
cannot be newer."
Here Talhamy interposed.
" In that case," lie said, " they are too new, and will
crack before a month is over. The sitt would do better
to buy some that are well seasoned."
Our honest fellah touched his brow and breast.
"Now in strict truth, 0 dragoman!" he said, with an
air of the most engaging candor, "these scarabs were
made at the time of the inundation. They are new; but
not too new. They are thoroughly seasoned. If they
crack, you shall denounce me to the governor, and I will
eat stick for them!"
Now it has always seemed to mo that the most curious
feature in this little scene was the extraordinary simplicity
of the Arab. With all his cunning, with all his dis-
position to cheat, he suffered himself to be turned inside-
out as unsuspiciously as a baby. It never occurred to him
that his untruthfulness was being put to the test, or that
ho was committing himself more and more deeply with
every word he uttered. The fact is, however, that the
fellah is half a savage. Notwithstanding his mendacity
money. Have you no imitation scarabs, new and service-
able, that one might wear without the fear of breaking
them?"
"These are imitations. 0 sitt!" was the ready answer.
" But you told me a moment ago they were genuine
anteekahs."
" That was because I thought the sitt wanted to buy
anteekahs," he said, quite shamelessly.
" See now," I said, " if you are capable of selling me
new things for old, how can I be sure that you would not
sell me old things for new?"
To this he replied by declaring that he had made the
scarabs himself. Then, fearing I should not believe him,
he pulled a scrap of coarse paper from his bosom, borrowed
one of my pencils, and drew an asp, an ibis, and some
other common hieroglyphic forms, with tolerable dexterity.
"Now you believe?" he asked, triumphantly.
"I see that you can make birds and snakes," I replied;
" but that neither proves that you can cut scarabs, nor
that these scarabs are new."
" Nay, sitt," he protested, " I made them with these
hands. I made them but the other day. By Allah! they
cannot be newer."
Here Talhamy interposed.
" In that case," lie said, " they are too new, and will
crack before a month is over. The sitt would do better
to buy some that are well seasoned."
Our honest fellah touched his brow and breast.
"Now in strict truth, 0 dragoman!" he said, with an
air of the most engaging candor, "these scarabs were
made at the time of the inundation. They are new; but
not too new. They are thoroughly seasoned. If they
crack, you shall denounce me to the governor, and I will
eat stick for them!"
Now it has always seemed to mo that the most curious
feature in this little scene was the extraordinary simplicity
of the Arab. With all his cunning, with all his dis-
position to cheat, he suffered himself to be turned inside-
out as unsuspiciously as a baby. It never occurred to him
that his untruthfulness was being put to the test, or that
ho was committing himself more and more deeply with
every word he uttered. The fact is, however, that the
fellah is half a savage. Notwithstanding his mendacity