ape leaders, fakirs, buffoons, jugglers, fortune tellers, snake charmers, and dancing boys in women's attire.
And, also impromptu, the love-making of Asia which is a trifle indelicate to Western ears and prejudices; the correct method of procedure being for the gallant man to tilt his turban or fur cap to a rakish angle—to show that he is a fast man—to tease his mustaches to the sharp points of a single, well-waxed hair, to shoulder his ashen stick, and to stalk about with a nonchalant, devil-may-care air until he sees a lady whose eyes seem to roll invitingly behind her veil. Then a graceful attitude and soft words:
“O Bride! O Female Pilgrim! O Dispenser of Delights!”—and whatever else the gallant man may have to say.
There is of course the chance that the Dispenser of Delights will refuse to dispense the same and will reply with some such little thing as: “May Allah cut out thy heart and feed it to the most unclean pigs of Syria! Curse thee for an unbelieving and thrice-unclean dog!” or: “Verily I declare that thy ancestry is rotten and thy manners deplorable! Verily I declare that thy female progenitors have been shameless and disreputable since the day of Allah's creation!”
Then the man's retort, with a proper drawl: “Wah, ya'l aguz—Ho, Old Woman!” and he would move away very quickly. For the temper of the fair ones of Asia is short and they may tell things about a man and his ancestry which never can be translated word for word into English—for reasons.
Joy and excitement, and cheers for Gulabian, for Koom Khan, for the princess, for Al Nakia!
