strips of an apron round their throats, and then let them go. The
learned men having assembled round the Cogia, said, 'What was the matter
with these fowls?' Said the Cogia, 'They merely went into mourning for
their slaughtered mothers.'

One day a bull mounted a young cow of the Cogia's. The Cogia seeing what
he was about, took a staff in his hand and ran towards him. The bull
fled towards the car of a Turcoman, to which seven other oxen were
attached. The Cogia keeping the ox in view, ran after him, and with the
staff in his hand struck the ox several blows. 'Halloa, man!' said the
Turcoman. 'What do you want with my ox?' 'Don't you interfere, you
foolish dog,' said the Cogia. 'He knows full well what he has done.'

One day the Cogia made his last will. 'When I die,' said he, 'place me
in an old tomb.' When the people about him said, 'Why do you make this
request?' the Cogia said, 'When the inquiring angels come and ask me
questions, I can say, "I am deaf. Do you not see that I as well as my
tomb am old?"'

One day Cogia Efendi, putting on very short habiliments, went to the
mosque to say his prayers. Whilst performing the rakoua the man who was
behind him perceiving the Cogia's --- seized hold of them and squeezed
them, whereupon the Cogia, seizing hold of those of the man who was
before him, squeezed them too; the man, turning round and perceiving that
it was Cogia Efendi himself, said, 'Halloa, what are you about?' 'You
must ask the man behind me,' said the Cogia.

One day the boys of Belgrade took the Cogia along with them into the
bath. They had secretly brought in their pouches a number of eggs. One
and all going into the bathing-house, took off their clothes and went in,