extravagant display of furniture inside. A rush-mat in the middle of the
room, a bench covered with a carpet in the corner, a few wooden plates
and dishes, a jug on a wooden shelf, and a couple of very simple
cooking-utensils in the fire-place--that was all. From the roof of the
chamber hung an earthenware lamp, which Patrona kindled with an
old-fashioned flint and steel. Then he brought water in a round-bellied
trough for his guest to wash his hands, fetched drinking-water from the
well in a long jug, whereupon he drew forward his rush-woven
market-basket, emptied its contents on to the rush-mat, sat him down
opposite honest Janaki, and forthwith invited his guest to fall to.

There was nothing indeed but a few small fish and a few beautiful
rosy-red onions, but Halil had so much to say in praise of the repast,
telling his guest where and how these fish were caught, and in what
manner they ought to be fried so as to bring out the taste; how you
could find out which of them had hard roes and which soft; what
different sorts of flavours there are in the onion tribe, far more,
indeed, than in the pine-apple; and then the pure fresh water too--why
the Koran from end to end is full of the praises of fresh pure water,
and Halil knew all these passages by heart, and had no need to look in
the holy book for them. And then, too, he had so many interesting tales
to tell of travellers who had lost their way in the desert and were
dying for a drop of water, and how Allah had had compassion upon them
and guided them to the springs of the oasis--so that the guest was
actually entrapped into imagining that he had just been partaking of the
most magnificent banquet, and he enjoyed his meat and drink, and arose
from his rush-carpet well satisfied with himself and with his host.

I'll wager that Sultan Achmed, poor fellow! felt far less contented when
he rose from his gorgeous and luxurious sofa, though the tables beside