THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT, FEBRUARY 7, 1941>
SHORT STORY
The Zargun Of Zaki
| SAT in the shop of Zaki, seller of gems, sipping the amber- scented tea he provided only for his very special friends At least, that is what he impressed on me, and I liked to believe him. Op- galley posite me. on an ornate rouch, sat Zaki himself, turning recent in his hand some
would purchases so that they catch the light - artificial, for the light of day never penetrated this dark corner of the Muski,
over
Suddenly he picked out one of the stones and considered it apart for a long moment. Then he sigh crept round th ed and a smile corner of his lips.
"You are thinking"" I put in teulativery.
"I think " he
admitted slowly, Tike another argun, givph this one, only larger, inuch larger." He paused and its eyes flickered "My friend," he went on with a "you have suddennes5. strange wiite many time. I know of the cleverness of the Cairo Muski Tell this time how a tourist lady beat an Egyptian Lasten, my friend, such chance are FITCH as tale of royal palm "
He smiled titied
ille, then con-
"My friend I have hear in your Country they say somebutt people they live the eat-and-dog life. Yes" Then would it offend if I call my two ladies Miss Kart and Miss Dogg" for though they travel about everywhere all to- gether, yet 1 thal: they live just that kind of life. I have think of
them that way and 11 You will I tisd story more easy to tell that way."
excuse
.
And this is the story Zaki tofd m that day in his shop. He was very proud of his English, was First Zaki, and described
class OK" And though I am used to it, for I have kiwn Zaki tor many years, you might and bis quaint phraseology es dificult to follow as I once did. Sa here it is told as simply es anything Zaki is concerned in can be told.
One day the two ladies whom we must call Miss Katt and Mix. Dogg-wandered into his shop. Zaki gave them just one glance it was enough. No use wasting time on them they would look round, pass disparaging remarks on everything and is out,
But after a little he noticed Miss Dogg, who, he had decided WIN the less objectionable of the two, go back to the tray where he dis- played his zircons and pick up one which she had already looked at more than casually. It was a large green stone of the more uneon- mon kind known as zargun, Zakı hovered hopefully.
"How much?" she barked over her shoulder.
"That very fine stone, lady," he told her, holding it up to catch the light. "You know the good stones, yes?"
"How much?" she barked again, but Zaki could see his remark had pleased her.
"Business very bad," Zaki con- In his voice. fessed with sorrow
"I do not mind if I lose just to say I have done business to-day. Lady, I sell you this magnificent zargun for two gineh."
She shook her head, twitched her nose. "Too much! I give you one and a half."
tourists when they left Zaki, and Sabr, the seller of scent, both ad- the imperceptibly into vaneed
The two ladies, blood up, shop. had settled down to it. Their faces, as Zaki put it, were tight up like the ass when you try to turn his head from home at sunset. Two- forty, two-sixty, two-eighty.
It was Miss Katt who snapped in at three ginch. Miss Dogg just looked at her with the hate of a ludy friend. Zaki smiled at her.
Now Zaki had summed up Miss many children he not know, all zargun she had sold him a few
Kaft very shrewdly and he knew that she would do her utinost to flud
fault will any match he might obtain in order to get it cheaper. He had, therefore, taken a wax impression of the original zargun so that he could get the match cut precisely the same be- fore he offered it. And now he tried the new purchase against the mould.
The zargun dropped in and Zakı thought he had gone mud. It fitted so that not even a single The magnificent zargun, it is hair of the Prophet's beard could
be slipped between! yours for three gineb, tady
*.
Miss Katt looked at Miss Doga as if she
could not believe her silence: then turned to Zaki and forced a laugh.
"If was only a game," she said, licking her lips a little nervously. "I do not want it at all. You can keep it "
Zaki stared at it, knew that him for the Allah had punished greed that had blinded his native caution. Knew that he had bought back his own zargun at twice what he had sold it for!
went
Straightway he
to his friend. Aly Mohammed, told him what had happened and asked how the stone had come into his Aly explamed that a possession, Ert
lady had come into his shop with
very
Zaki "Lady," replied. quietly. "I do not have shop Muski to play games 1 nere to
do business. You say you give me three gineh for this magnificent zargun. You take it,'
Miss Katt glanced towards the floor, but Zaki's ssistant stood there, and Ahmed the seller f brass, and Sabr, the seller !! scent She saw the fearsome ex
Ahmed's face
Sho pression on did not know it was always like
even when he was happy that. and her confidence deserted her She opened her bag, threw down three notes, snatched up the ar- Kun
hungry. And Zaki, he say be pay, me nine gineh. But if lady want argun much I give it her for nine just the same. Then, if lady like, she can sell it to her friend for ten or more and get fun of it just like her friend try to get before in Zaki shop."
Miss Dogg hesitated only a mo- ment. The chance was too good to miss and she paid over the nine gineh. Then Aly suggested that she might like to have it made into a ring so that people could ses and a inagnificent zar- admire such gum: he would gladly include the cost of setting in the nine ginel Miss Dogg thought of Miss Katt and smiled. Aly took the zargun away with him: he was siding, tha
days before. Aly expressed his re- grat; alas! he had sold it to a lady who wanted very much a large, A Miss Dogg,`li green zargun. was, who was staying at Shep- heard's Hotel; he had made it int a ring and sent it there. She ask- ed him when he had sold it and he told her.
Her flickering doubts about Zaki's story of the new customer vanished. Obviously, if Miss Dogg had bought the zargun from Aly, Zaki could not offer her the same Her nice stone two days after. little stheme had mis-carried owing to the intervention of Miss Dogg, confound her! Zaki had not bought his own stone back as she had intended him to in order to pay him out for the way he had treated her.
hard Somehow he To Zaki, his friend, went Aly secured a match to the original with the ubiquitous zargun, and zargun- but now he would have to Zaki, two days later, presented pay to get back the very stone himself and the zargun to Miss he har forced her to buy. Keit. He reminded her of her for a offer to pay eight ginen
match to the zorgun she had al- that she emuld ready bought so
By Richard Carol
the zargun and asked him if he weuld set it for her in a Turkish Aligree ring He had immediately reaised that it was just such stone that his friend Zaki was "Good-bye, Indies," Zaki bowed seeking and offered to buy it. very politely, but he was address- ing the ar.
Two day, later Miss Katt cam? to Zosi's shop alone. She showed the zargun to Kaki Was it really as uncommon as he had said" The merchant assured her that it was seldom one came across a zargun of that colour and size. Miss Katt made no effort to hide her dis- appointment; she took Zaki into
Jaen
confidence.
She
Visit: sh**
admitted frankly that she had been silly
had on her previous
ten very annoyed with her friend that day and had wanted to make her pay more. She had not want- ed the zargun herself. But now more she She was glad, for the Touked at it the more she liked it And it had struck her that, if she could only get another just like it, she could get the two made a perfectly delightful pair of ear-rings.
into
Zaki agreed that the idea was a magnificent one, but he was ex- tremely doubtful. The chance of getting a match was so very small.
"What a pity!" she sighed. "I would give right ginch for another Just like it."
Only with the greatest difficulty did Zaki conceal his excitemeni. "Lady," he said, "I do what I can, but nothing I promise. Sometime it happen if Allah will."
"You will find me at Shep- heard's if you are lucky," she said. shall be there for a few weeks
more."
The idy, howeve, sormed re- ctant to part with 4 and Aly had to offer five ginch before the Aly de- zargun changed hands. reribed the fade and Zaki's last doubt fled,
For a long time the two sat. smoking their hubble-hubules jo thoughtful, siendly silence At the and they dreided that Miss Katt, like the scorpion, had a sting i her tail And were there no ways of making the scorpion spend its poison harmlessly"
Miss Katt
have pur-rings made. made a tave of a camel, as Zak dosesibend at She said she did not know what he was talking about and ducatraed to call a
poje not leat unine. Zaki diately
went.
outwan div urning, twardly delighted.
He returned the zargun to Aly so that it could be set in a ring as promeed for Miss Dogg. Then, three deys
Zaak. after.
agam ought the presence of Miss Katt.
He
1
was blatantly excited. lady, he explained to Miss Katt. had just been in his shop, had spotted the zargun he had got to match Miss Katt's originai zargum, but which she had refused to take That was all forgotten now: she had changed her mind and any- Two days later, Aly Mohammed body is allowed to change her interviewed Miss Dogg at Shep- mind. But the lady had got the heard's. He told her that he knew some idea Miss Katt had once had from Zaki, his friend, how Miss if she could only get another Katt had tried to make her pay zargun like it, what magnificent more for the zargun and had been ear-rings they would make! obliged to buy it for herself though she did not want it. Now, how- ever, it seemed that Miss Katt' not only liked it but was very eager to get another one the same in order to make a unique pair of ear-rings and she had told Zaki she was prepared to pay ten ginch for a perfect match,
"Miss Katt." pleaded Zaki, “I know you not want zargun you buy from me very much. You sell it back to me? I give you six ginen for it."
the
Miss Katt just stared at jewel merchant.
**Seven ginch," he promised eagerly. "Eight."
Before she had recovered from her astonishment he had offered 12 gineh, protesting that he could pay no more or there would be ne profit in it for himself. She looked at him strangely, promised in the end that she would think it over.
Aly produced a large green zat- gun from his pocket. Here was the match He could guarantee that there was not another like it in the Muski. If he suld it to Zaki, ns Zaki wanted, Zaki would sell it to Miss Katt who would have her unique ear-rings. Aly frankly did not like Miss Katt, if Miss Dogg would excuse him saying to part with his zargun to pre- so, and would gladly have refused vent Miss Katt from getting her shop." wish.
"OK, lady," said Zaki. "If you think yes, you bring it to my
Early next morning Miss Katt at the shop of Aty Mo-
Eight ginch for a zargun-and not real at that, for these Muski stones were from Switzerland. fused from zircon chips! It would, poor man with two wife and so hammed, offering to buy back the
certainly be difficult to get one just like it, but eight ginch! Zaki could not get the incredible figure out of his head. Hardly had Miss Katt disappeared than he was off down the Muski lanes, seeking out his friends who also were sellers of gems, secking out even his enemies. But nowhere could he get a green zargun large enough. In desperation, he went back to his friends, gave them the colour "I'll take it for that." It was and size and told them that f Miss Katt who had suddenly snap- they could get one like that he ped in. She did not really want would pay a very good price for the stone, but somehow he did not it.
"You would ruin me. lady," said Zaki sadly. "But what matter if I get ruin to-day or to-morrow. I give it away for two less a quar- ter."
want Miss Dogg to have it. Zaki sensed it; it was his job. Miss
Four days later, Aly Mohammed
Dogg sensed it; she knew Miss came to the shop of Zaki with a Katt.
stone which Zaki knew in an in- stant was the one he wanted.
"I'll give you two ginch for it," Naturally he pointed out to Aly said Miss Dogg firmly.
at considerable length that the stone was on the small side and' Zaki began to get interested. differed appreciably from his de- And his assistant, though he did scription. Unfortunately Aly was that his friend's not understand one word of the convinced conversation, realised that some memory was falling and, in the thing out of the ordinary was end, Zaki had to pay six ginch afoot and came closer. And for the stone. As he was going Alimed, the seller of brass oppo- to get eight for it he faced the site, who had been fluttering ruin the purchase involved him round the door to importune the in with praiseworthy stoicism,
"But. lady," he confessed, "Aly was
Next day a triumphant Miss Katt invaded Zas shop. She had the original green zargun. She of- and demanded Tered it to Zaki twelve gineh. Zaki looked at her in amazement and shook his head.
"I do not understand," said Zaki. very much as she had said it but a few days before at Shepheard's when he offered her the match,
She forced a laugh. “You are having a little game with me."
"Lady." replied Zaki, "I tell you once already we not have shops i Muski to play games. We here to do business and 1 very foolin bugness to buy zargun for twelve
ih "
"But you promised," she storm- ed, and at cost me ten ginch to get it back for you, for I had sold R."
Zaki shook his head, threw out lus hands. She raved, she blus- tered till Ahmed, the seller of brass.
corner looked round the
face of his. with that fæersone Then she went, cursing rudibly. to his English and Zaki added First Class O.K.
"Good-bye lady" Zaki politely to Miss Katt's dust.
bowed
Zaki regarded ine solemnly, but there was a twinkle of laughter in his eyes.
"You see, my
friend, she pay the eight ginch for that zargun just as she promise. She pay me three at the first, she get five from Aly Mohammed, she pay ten to the Miss Dogg. Aly and me we have our own account. You un- derstand how strange the ways of Allah."
Carelessly he tossed the green zargun into his gem-tray.
"But Zaki," I protested, when I had got my mind out of its Orien- tai confusion, "you were going to tell me a story of how you were
beaten. You won."
The Egyption shook his head. "Oh, no, my friend;" he insisted firmly. "I get the defeat O.K. But is it not your people which say one may profit more from the de- feats than from the wins: way it is, I think."
D. Mar batting in the clash between the Wildoast and the Canuckettes on Sunday morn- Ing: in' the softbait-league. Canuckettes went down to their first defeat. 11-2.-
That
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