SECTION I

CONCERNING THE CREATION AND DIVERS SAINTS AND MIRACLES

PAGE

I.

A LEARNED MOSLEM'S IDEAS ON COSMOGONY

3

The Tablet of Destiny, and the great fountain-pen.--The creation of water, of Allah's throne, of the atmosphere, of the great serpent, of the solid earth and the mountains, the "Kâf" range, and the seven seas and continents.--How the universe is upheld.--The cause of earthquakes and of eclipses.--How all these things became known.

II.

OUR FATHER ADAM

9

Adam formed out of various kinds of dust.--Disobedience of Iblìs.--Adam's first troubles.--"El Karìneh," Lilith, or "El Brûsha."--Creation of Eve.--Iblìs bribes the serpent, and thus gets back into Paradise.--Adam's forethought--The fall of Man, and the ejection from Eden.--Increase and origin of various evil spirits.--Repentance of Adam and his reunion with Eve.--He is shown his posterity.--His great stature.--His death.--Place of Adam's burial.

III.

NOAH AND OG

13

Idrìs.--Birth and dwelling-place of Noah.--The "Nâkils."--Opposition.--The Deluge.--Iblìs gets into the Ark.--A donkey in Paradise.--Og.--Voyage of the Ark.--Noah's daughter and her supposed sisters.--Noah buried at Kerak.

IV.

JOB AND HIS FAMILY

17

Job.--His wife's patience.--El Hakìm Lokman identified with Æsop.--Account of a surgical operation.

V.

ABRAHAM, "THE FRIEND OF GOD"

22

Circumstances of his birth.--Impiety of Nimrûd.--The child's precocity. His longing for spiritual knowledge.--Destruction of Idols.--The furnace.--The flying-machine.--Death of Nimrûd.--Flight of Ibrahìm.--His buildings.--The sheep-skin jacket.--Ibrahìm's hospitality.--A false friend.--A churl.--Several customs attributed to Ibrahìm.--His death.--He is still alive.--His posthumous protection of the Jews at Hebron.

p. viii

PAGE

VI.

LOT AND THE TREE OF THE CROSS

36

VII.

THE LAST HOURS OF AARON AND MOSES

39

Aaron's shrine on Mount Hor.--Legend concerning his death.--Different accounts of the death of Moses.--Legend of Moses' shepherd.

VIII.

DAVID AND SOLOMON

44

David's piety.--Learns a trade.--His presumption and fall.--His remorse.--Solomon and the two birds.--The carob-tree.--Solomon's death.

IX.

EL KHUDR

51

The fountain of youth.--Dhu’lkarnein and his companions.--El Khudr popularly identified with various saints.--His haunts and habits.--The insane asylum near the "Pools of Solomon."--The holy stone.--Other shrines.--Elijah's cave on Carmel.--An English doctor's story.--St George and the Dragon.--Elijah's Synagogue at Jerusalem.--El Khudr and Moses.

X.

SIMON THE JUST

62

His so-called tomb.--Biographical sketch.--Simon the Just and Ptolemy Philopator.--Simon and the Nazarite.--Rabbi Galanti and the great drought.

NOTES

68

SECTION II

CONTAINING LEGENDS AND ANECDOTES POSSIBLY FOUNDED ON FACT

I.

"BAB EL KHALÌL" OR THE JAFFA GATE

79

Origin of Name.--Antichrist.--Two cenotaphs.--Jeremiah and Nebuchadnezzar.--El ’Ozair.--An ass in Paradise.--El Edhemìeh.--Rabbi Judah ha Levi.--Mezuzah at Jaffa Gate.

II.

"TURBET BIRKET MAMILLA"--JOHHA

83

Kubbet el ’Abd.--Legends.--Johha and his mother.--Johha and the donkeys.--Johha's peg.--The baby saucepan and the defunct cauldron.--Johha's neighbours.

III.

"EN NEBI DÂUD"

89

En Nebi Daûd and Ibn Faraj.--The dagger.--The Jewish washerwoman.

p. ix

PAGE

IV.

"BÂB EL ASBÂT

94

Traditional names.--The lions.--Sultan Selìm's dream.--The Legend of the Bath-house of Belkis.

V.

DETECTIVE STORIES

99

Kolonimos.--Incident at house of a rabbi.--Two anecdotes of Ibrahìm Pasha.

VI.

SCRAPS OF UNWRITTEN HISTORY

105

Traces of the Essenes.--Female Recluses.--A Legend of El Hâkim bi amr Illah.--The Avengers of Blood.--Massacre of Kurds at Hebron.--Faction-fights.--Massacre at Artass.--A petty despot.

VII.

JUDGEMENTS OF KARAKASH

120

The weaver.--The red gown.--The miser.

VIII.

THE SARAGOSSAN PURIM

124

IX.

SULTAN MAHMÛD'S AUTOGRAPH

126

X.

A WISE ANSWER

127

NOTES

129

SECTION III

STORIES AND ANECDOTES ILLUSTRATING SOCIAL IDEAS, SUPERSTITIONS, ETC.

I.

FOLKS GENTLE AND SIMPLE

141

Ahmad Almuttafakhir.--The two Wazìrs.--The Emperor of China's pig.

II.

THE SECRET OF SUCCESS

147

III.

THREE PROVERBS

153

Keep your legs stretched according to the length of your coverlet.--Moving a tent peg.--"Shûrûlûb."

IV.

MORAL TALES.

161

Honourable old age.--Trust in Allah.--Benevolence.--Disinterestedness.--An upright judge.--The surety.

p. x

PAGE

V.

AZRAEL

176

His appointment.--His son.--Francesco.

VI.

THE UNDERGROUND FOLK--OUR BETTERS--THE NAME OF ALLAH BE ROUND ABOUT US!

188

Their creation, etc.--The name of Allah.--Intercourse with human beings.--Mysterious thefts.--Khuneyfseh.--The abducted wife.--A shepherd's experience.--Experiences of a good woman.--Of a chieftain's son.--The frog.--The wedding procession.

VII.

NURSERY TALES

214

Ijbeyneh.--Uhdeydûn.--Bluebeard.--Snowmaiden.

VIII.

SATIRE

234

Invention of a shrine.--The patriarch.--A learned clergyman.--An almanac.--The fasting monk.--The endangered poultry.--The ill-used camels.

IX.

ABOUT WOMAN.

246

Treatment of a mother-in-law.--A cunning old woman.--The rebellious owl.--Stories told by a rebellious hoopoe.--The mourner.--The partners.--The merchant and the animals.

X.

ABOUT ANIMALS

261

The dog.--The cat.--The hyæna.--The fox.--The dib-dib.--The serpent.

XI.

ABOUT PLANTS

286

The olive.--The storax.--The sage.--The lotus and the tamarisk.--The tortoise herb.

XII.

ABOUT COFFEE

290

Its discovery--First uses.--Subject of religious controversy.--Customs among the desert Arabs.--Esh-Sheykh esh Shadhilly.--The Bedawi and the Memlûk.

XIII.

SOME MAGIC CURES

297

Mûmmia.--Indûlko.--Freskûra.--Charms.--Translation of a typical Kanii.

XIV.

A POPULAR CALENDAR AND SOME SAYINGS

303

NOTES

311