Part 2 of the story ...
... The Bones of a Rabbit ....
"We are the neighbours of the villager who brought you the rabbit yesterday." The men looked expectant. The seemed to be sniffing the air, which was already telling of the soup Fatima was preparing. Remembering his treat of yesterday, the Hodja glanced quickly at their hands. Empty!
"Oh! A fine fellow is Hussein!" cried Nasr-ed-Din Hodja. "Hosh geldiniz - your coming gives joy. Any neighbours of his are welcome. Come in! Come in! Dinner will soon be ready and you shall see what good soup Fatima can make of the bones of the rabbit. A great cook is my Fatima!"
Fatima, hearing the voices, padded softly into the room and peered through her veil. As she left the room, there were sounds behind her which might have meant, "What fun to have guests again." Or the sounds might have meant something very different.
Soon Fatima brought in a tray with three steaming bowls of soup, thick with rice and vegetables and tiny shreds of rabbit meat. She set the tray before the three men and slipped out of the room. The Hodja talked as he ate, but somehow his stories did not flow with yesterday's enthusiasm. The men thanked him for the meal and went back to their village, to tell of the hospitality of Nasr-ed-Din Hodja.
The next morning, the Hodja went warily to answer a knock at the door. There stood two other villagers - strangers again.
"And why am I honoured with this call?" Nasr-ed-Din Hodja had already glanced at their hands and found them dangling empty at their sides.
"We are the neighbours of the neighbours of the villager who brought you the rabbit." The two men grinned hopefully.
Nasr-ed-Din Hodja blinked, then said, "Come in and share my humble meal."
The men walked in and squatted on the floor while the Hodja went into the kitchen. He poured a kettle of hot water over the spoonful that remained of yesterday's soup. He poured the liquid into bowls which he carried to the room where the men were waiting.
"Oh neighbours of the neighbours of the villager who brought me the delicious rabbit!" Nasr-ed-Din Hodja's cordiality was loud. "May you enjoy this soup of the soup of the bones of the rabbit."
One neighbour of the neighbour's of Hussein looked at his bowl of water in which two grains of rice swam beside a scrap of turnip. The other neighbour of the neighbour's of Hussein looked at his bowl of water in which to grains of rice swam with a shed of onion and a chip of carrot. Nasr-ed-Din Hodja made a great noise of emptying his bowl before he smiled his guests to the door ...
... The Bones of a Rabbit ....
"We are the neighbours of the villager who brought you the rabbit yesterday." The men looked expectant. The seemed to be sniffing the air, which was already telling of the soup Fatima was preparing. Remembering his treat of yesterday, the Hodja glanced quickly at their hands. Empty!
"Oh! A fine fellow is Hussein!" cried Nasr-ed-Din Hodja. "Hosh geldiniz - your coming gives joy. Any neighbours of his are welcome. Come in! Come in! Dinner will soon be ready and you shall see what good soup Fatima can make of the bones of the rabbit. A great cook is my Fatima!"
Fatima, hearing the voices, padded softly into the room and peered through her veil. As she left the room, there were sounds behind her which might have meant, "What fun to have guests again." Or the sounds might have meant something very different.
Soon Fatima brought in a tray with three steaming bowls of soup, thick with rice and vegetables and tiny shreds of rabbit meat. She set the tray before the three men and slipped out of the room. The Hodja talked as he ate, but somehow his stories did not flow with yesterday's enthusiasm. The men thanked him for the meal and went back to their village, to tell of the hospitality of Nasr-ed-Din Hodja.The next morning, the Hodja went warily to answer a knock at the door. There stood two other villagers - strangers again.
"And why am I honoured with this call?" Nasr-ed-Din Hodja had already glanced at their hands and found them dangling empty at their sides.
"We are the neighbours of the neighbours of the villager who brought you the rabbit." The two men grinned hopefully.
Nasr-ed-Din Hodja blinked, then said, "Come in and share my humble meal."
The men walked in and squatted on the floor while the Hodja went into the kitchen. He poured a kettle of hot water over the spoonful that remained of yesterday's soup. He poured the liquid into bowls which he carried to the room where the men were waiting.
"Oh neighbours of the neighbours of the villager who brought me the delicious rabbit!" Nasr-ed-Din Hodja's cordiality was loud. "May you enjoy this soup of the soup of the bones of the rabbit."
One neighbour of the neighbour's of Hussein looked at his bowl of water in which two grains of rice swam beside a scrap of turnip. The other neighbour of the neighbour's of Hussein looked at his bowl of water in which to grains of rice swam with a shed of onion and a chip of carrot. Nasr-ed-Din Hodja made a great noise of emptying his bowl before he smiled his guests to the door ...
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