1941-02-07 — Page 42

Page

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 ten he provided only for his very special friends. At least, that is what he impressed on me, and I liked to belleve him. Op- posite me, on an ornate gulley Touch, sat Zaki himself, turning over in his hand some recent purchases:

they so that

would catch the light-artifcial, for the light of day never penetrated to this dark corner of the Muski,

Suddenly he picked out one of the stones and considered it apart for a long moment. Then he sigh-

ed and a smile crept round the

corner of his lips

"You are thit king"" I put in tentatively.

"I think he admitted slowly. another zargun, given like this one, only larger, much larger- He paused and his eyes flickered. "My friend," he went on with a strange suddenness, "you have write many time. I know, of the eleverness of the Cairo Muski. Tell this time how a tourist lady bei an Egyptian Lasten, my friend, such chance are royal palm

He smiled a tinued

care as date on

little, then con-

"My friend I have hear in your country they say sometime people they live the eat-and-dog life. Yes" Then would it offend if I call my two ladies Miss Katt and Miss Dogg" for though they travel about everywhere all to- gether, yet i think they live just that kind of life. I have think of them that way and it you will excuse

I the story easy to tell that way.

more

And this the story Zaki told m that lay in his shop. He wa very proud of h. English, was Zaki, and described it as First

class OK And though I am used to it, for I have known Zak for many years, you might find his quaint phraseology as difficult to follow as I once did. So here it is wold as simply as anything Zaki is concerned in can be told.

One day the two ladies whom we must call Miss Katt and Miss 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 pass out.

But after a little he noticed Miss Dogg, who, he had decided, was 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 uncom - mon kind known as zargun. Zaki 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- fessed with sorrow in his voice. "I do not mind if I lose just to say

tourists when they left Zaki, and Sabr, the seller of scent, both ad- vanced imperceptibly into the shop. The two ladies, blood up, 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 gineh. Miss Dogg just looked at her with the hate of a lady friend. Zaki smiled at her.

Now Zaki had summed up Miss Kait very shrewdly and he knew that she would do her utmost to And

fault with 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 mad. It Atted so that not "The magnificent zargun, it is hair of the Prophet's beard could even a single yours for three gineh, Indy"

be slipped between!

Zaki stared at it, knew that Allah had punished him for the greed that had, blinded his native caution, Knew that he had bought back his own zargun at twice what he had sold it for!

Miss Katt looked at Miss Dogg as if she could not believe her silence: then turned to Zaki and forced a laugh.

"It was only a game," she said, lirking her lips a little nervously. "I do not want it at all. You can keep it "

In

"Lady." replied Zaki very quietly, "I do not have shop Muski to play games. I here to do business. You say you give me three glue for this magnificent zargun. You take it."

1

Miss Katt glanced towards the door, but Zaki's assistant stood there, and Ahmed the seller of brass, and Sabr, the seller scent. She saw the fearsome ex pression on Ahmed's face-sh did not know it was always hike that, even when he was happy - and her confidence deserted her. She opened her bag. threw down three notes, snatched up the car Kun,

"Good-bye, Indies," Zaki bowed very politely, but he was address- ing the air.

Two day.. later Miss Katt came to Zaki'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 her confidence. She admitted frankly that she had been silly on her previous visit: she had been 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 she was glad, for the more she looked at it the more she liked it And it had struck her that, il she could only get another just like it, she could get the two made into a perfectly delightful pair of ear-rings.

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 ciglit gineh for another just like 1."

many children he not know, all hungry. And Zaki, be say he pay me nine gineh. But if lady want just the same. Then, if lady like, zargun much I give it her for nine 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 adinite such a magnificent zar- a ring so that people could see and gun: he would gladly include the cost of setting in the nine gineh, Miss Dogg thought of Miss Katt and smiled. Aly took the zargun away with him; he was smiling, toa.

zargun she had sold him, a few days before. Aly expressed his re- grat; alas! he had sold it to a lady green zargun. who wanted very much a large, was, who was staying at Shep- A Miss Dogg, it heard's Hotel; he had made it into a ring and sent it there. She ask- ed him when he had sold it and he told her.

Zaki's story of the new customer Her flickering doubts about vanished. Obviously, if Miss Dogg had bought the zargun from Aly, Zaki could not offer her the same stone two days after. little

Her nice scheme 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 To Zaki, his friend, went Aly secured a match

trented her. Somehow he had with the ubiquitous zargun, and zargun-but now he would have to to the original friend, Aly Mohammed, told him himself and the zargun to Miss he had forced her to buy.

Straightway he went to his Zaki, two days later, presented pay to get back the very slone what had happened and asked Katt. He reminded

her how the stone had come into his offer to pay eight ginch possession. Aly explained that a

for a match to the zargun she had al- lady had come into his shop with ready bought so that she could

her of

By Richard

Richard Carol

would set it for her in a Turkish the zargun and asked him if he Aligree ring. He had immediately realised that it was just such stute seeking and offered to buy it.

that his friend Zaki Wa›

..

The lady, however, secmed re- had to offer five gineh before the luctant to part with 4 and Aly

scribed the lady and ZakP's last zorgun changed hands. Aly de- doubt led.

smoking the hubble-hubbles in For a long time the two sat, thoughtful, triendly silence. At the end they decided that Miss Katt, like the scorpion, had a sting in her tail. And were there nu ways of making the scorpion spend its poison harmlessly?

Two days later, Aly Mohammed interviewed Miss Dogg at Shep- heard's. He told her that he knew from Zaki, his friend, how Miss Katt had tried to make her pay obliged to buy it for herself though more for the zargun and had been 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 car-rings and she had told Zaki order to make a unique pair of

she was prepared to pay ten ginch for a perfect match.

Aly produced a large green zar- gun from his pocket. Here was the Only with the greatest difficulty there was not another like it in match He could guarantee that did Zaki conceal his excitement. the Musk. If he suld it to Zaki. "Lady." he said, "I do what I can, but nothing I promise. Sometime it to Miss Katt who would have as Zaki wanted, Zaki would sell It happen if Allah will."

her unique car-rings. Aly frankly did not like Miss Katt, if Miss Dogg would excuse him saying 0, and would gladly have refused to part with his zargun to pre- vent Miss Katt from getting her wish.

"You will find me at Shep- heard's if you are lucky," she said. "I shall be there for a few weeks

more."

Eight ginch for a zargun-and not real at that, for these Muski stones were from Switzerland,

"But, lady," he confessed, "Aly

Next day a triumphant Miss Katt invaded Zaki's shop. She had the original green zargun. She of- fered it to Żaki and demanded twelve gineb. 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 made the face of a camel, as Zaki Muski to play games. have par-rings made. Miss Katt one already we not have shops in We here to described i

She said she dut nut do business and it very foolish know what he was talking about business to buy zargun for twelve and threatened to call polive- gineh. man he did tart leav imme- diately. Zaki went, outwardly tuming. awardly delighted.

"But you promised," she storm- ed. and it cost me ten ginch to get it back for you. lor I had sold

corner

He returned the zargun to Aly it." So that it could be set in a ring As promised for Miss Dogg. Then, Zaki shook his head, threw out three days after. Zak: again his hands. She raved, she blus- sought the presence of Miss Katt tered til Ahmed, the seller of

brass, looked round the lady, he explained to Miss Katt, Then she went, cursing rudibly, He was blatantly excited. A with that fearsome face of his. had just been in his shop. had and Zaki added match Miss Katt's originai zargun.

to his English spotted the zargin he had got to First Class O.K. but which she had refused to take. That was all forgotten now: she had changed her mind and any- body is allowed to change her mind. But the lady had got th same idea Miss Katt had once had if she could only get another zargun like it, what magnificent ea-rings they would make!

"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."

Miss Katt just stared at the jewel merchant.

"Seven gineh," he promised eagerly. "Eight."

her astonishment he had offered Before she had recovered from 12 gineh, protesting that he could profit in it for himself. She looked pay no more or there would be no

at him strangely, promised in the end that she would think it over.

"O.K.: lady." said Zaki, "If you think yes, you bring it to my shop."

"Good-bye lady" Zaki bowed politely to Miss Kalt's dust.

*

Zaki regarded ine solemnly, but there was a twinkle of laughter in his eyes.

"You see, my friend, she pay the eight gineh 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.

tal confusion, "you were going to "But Zaki," I protested, when I had got my mind out of its Orien-

tell me a story of how you were beaten. You won."

"Oh, no, my friend," he insisted The Egyptian shook his head.

firmly. "I get the defeat O.K. But is it not your people which say Early next morning Miss Katt one may profit more from the de- was at the shop of Aly Mo- feats than from the wins.

way it is, I think."

I have done business to-day. Lady fused from zircon chips! It would poor man with two wife and so hammed, offering to buy back the

I sell you this magnificent zargun for two ginch,"

She shook her head, twitched her nose. Too much! I give you one and a half."

to get one

certainly be difficult 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 "You would ruin me. lady," said out his friends who also were Zakl sadly. "But what matter if sellers of gems, seeking out even I get ruin to-day or to-morrow. I his enemies. But nowhere could he give it away for two less a quar-, get a green zargun large enough. ter."

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 if 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. want Miss Dogg to have it. Zaki. sensed it; it was his job. Miss Dogg sensed It; she knew Miss Katt.

Four days later, Aly Mohammed came to the shop of Zaki with a 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 shid Miss Dogg flrmly.

at considerable length that the stone was on the small side: and B Zaki began to get interested. differed appreciably from his de- And his assistant, though he did scription, Unfortunatoly Aly was. not understund one word of the convinced that his friend's conversation, realised that some- memory was failing and, in the thing out of the ordinary was end, Zaki had to pay six ginch nfoot and camo closer. And fob the stone. As he was going. Ahmed, 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 stolalam...”

બ

D. Mar-batting In the clash between the Wildest and the Canuckettes on Sunday morn- :in- the softball; deanu, Osnjakettäs. went, down to their first defeat 11-2

That