370 Catrene Folklore.
VII.
" There was a spinner of Cairo, and a spinner of Syria, who sent a letter to the spinner of Cairo, saying: ' I am coming to you to show you my spinning.' When he comes (the other) awaits him in the station ; after greeting the other, the newcomer says : ' Are there no teasels here ? ' The other replies : ' There are.' (Then) they went to a thicket of thorns and he ties them to his body till it is quite full of them, and he says : ' Show me the people of the city who are in the Hamzawi bazaar.' When he went there to them they fell upon him (crying) : ' Away with you, you spinner ! ' He goes to another shop ; another falls upon him (crying) : ' Away with you, you spinner ! ' And (this continued) until all the shops had been passed. Then he says : ' My brother, I have shown you my spinning.' The other replied: 'Very well, go on !' They lighted on the house (of the spinner of Cairo) to eat together, and (the Syrian spinner) then said : ' I am off ! ' The spinner of Cairo answered : ' I want to visit Syria in order to show you my spinning.' The other replied :
- Very well, when you want to come send me a letter that I
may wait for you in the station.' ' Very well,' said (the other). A few days afterwards he sent him a letter saying: ' I am coming,' and the spinner of Syria awaited him in the station. When he arrived there he greeted his friend, and they walked away together, the spinner of Cairo (and the other), and they walk away. The spinner of Cairo saw an old woman drawing water from the well ; he pulled the rope and the bucket fell into the well. When they had gone to the house of the spinner of Syria and were sitting
mush yiddilo. Baden en-nas kallimmo: " Er-ragil-da magnun, m'andush 'a'l." Ba'den en-nas mishu za'alanin 'alashan er-ragil byidhak 'alehum. Tani yom misik el-bab warra 'ande sahbo. 'Alio: " Mush 'auz el-bab." 'Alio: "'alash- ane ? " 'Alio .• " 'alashan akallim, ya bab hat kebab ! mush yegib." 'Alio : lazim enta 'amalte haga fil-bab, 'alashan di mush yiddilak. Ana mamsikshi el- bab." Uba'den er-ragil misik el-bab tani noba bizzur.
