Mikailia Chikno, who can tell a fortune when she pleases better
than any one else, tell them a fortune, and she, being in a good
mind, told them a fortune which pleased them very much. So, after
they had heard their fortunes, one of them asked if any of our
women could sing; and I told them several could, more particularly
Leviathan--you know Leviathan, she is not here now, but some miles
distant, she is our best singer, Ursula coming next. So the lady
said she should like to hear Leviathan sing, whereupon Leviathan
sang the Gudlo pesham, and Piramus played the tune of the same
name, which as you know, means the honeycomb, the song and the tune
being well entitled to the name, being wonderfully sweet. Well,
everybody present seemed mighty well pleased with the song and
music, with the exception of one person, a carroty-haired Scotch
body; how he came there I don't know, but there he was; and, coming
forward, he began in Scotch as broad as a barn-door to find fault
with the music and the song, saying, that he had never heard viler
stuff than either. Well, brother, out of consideration for the
civil gentry with whom the fellow had come, I held my peace for a
long time, and in order to get the subject changed, I said to
Mikailia in Romany, You have told the ladies their fortunes, now
tell the gentlemen theirs, quick, quick,--pen lende dukkerin.
Well, brother, the Scotchman, I suppose, thinking I was speaking
ill of him, fell into a greater passion than before, and catching
hold of the word dukkerin--'Dukkerin,' said he, 'what's dukkerin?'
'Dukkerin,' said I, 'is fortune, a man or woman's destiny; don't
you like the word?' 'Word! d'ye ca' that a word? a bonnie word,'
said he. 'Perhaps, you'll tell us what it is in Scotch,' said I,
'in order that we may improve our language by a Scotch word; a pal
of mine has told me that we have taken a great many words from
foreign lingos.' 'Why, then, if that be the case, fellow, I will