large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb_20
large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb
English
6798
Seldom did an evening pass without a dance. As darkness fell, the Arabs would gather in a great circle around one of their comrades, who squatted on the ground with a bamboo flute; to a weird minor music they would begin swaying and moving about while some self chosen poet among them would sing impromptu verses to the flute _obbligato_. As a rule the themes were homely. "To morrow we shall eat rice and meat," the singer would wail. SELDOM DID AN EVENING PASS WITHOUT A DANCE AS DARKNESS FELL THE ARABS WOULD GATHER IN A GREAT CIRCLE AROUND ONE OF THEIR COMRADES WHO SQUATTED ON THE GROUND WITH A BAMBOO FLUTE TO A WEIRD MINOR MUSIC THEY WOULD BEGIN SWAYING AND MOVING ABOUT WHILE SOME SELF CHOSEN POET AMONG THEM WOULD SING IMPROMPTU VERSES TO THE FLUTE OBLIGATO AS A RULE THE THEMES WERE HOMELY TO MORROW WE SHALL EAT RICE AND MEAT THE SINGER WOULD WAIL
g these natives through my horse Kochba--of pure Maneghi-Sbeli blood--which I had purchased from some Anazzi Bedouins who were encamped not far from Aleppo: a swift and intelligent animal he was, winner of many races, and in a land where a horse is considerably more valuable than a wife, his ownership cast quite a glamour over me. [ILLUSTRATION: THE AUTHOR ON HIS HORSE KOCHBA] In the evenings, then, the Arabs would come up to chat. As they speak seldom of their children, of their women-folk never, the conversation was limited to generalities about the crops and the weather, or to the recitation of never-ending tales of Abou-Zeid, the famous hero of the Beni-Hilal, or of Antar the glorious. Politics, of which they have amazing ideas, also came in for discussion. Napoleon Bonaparte and Queen Victoria are still living figures to them; but (significantly enough) they considered the Kaiser king of all the kings of this world, with the exception of the Sultan, whom they admitted to equality. TO A QUAVERING HOT BLOODED TRIBAL LOVE SONG IT HAPPENED THAT I WAS FAIRLY WELL KNOWN AMONG THESE NATIVES THROUGH MY HORSE KOCHBA OF PURE MANEGHI SABELI BLOOD WHICH I HAD PURCHASED FROM SOME ANAZI BEDOINS WHO ENCAMPED NOT FAR FROM ALEPPO A SWIFT AND INTELLIGENT ANIMAL HE WAS WINNER OF MANY RACES AND IN A LAND WHERE A HORSE IS CONSIDERABLY MORE VALUABLE THAN A WIFE HIS OWNERSHIP CAST QUITE A GLAMOUR OVER ME IN THE EVENINGS THEN THE ARABS WOULD COME UP TO CHAT AS THEY SPEAK SELDOM OF THEIR CHILDREN OF THEIR WOMEN FOLK NEVER THE CONVERSATION WAS LIMITED TO GENERALITIES ABOUT THE CROPS AND THE WEATHER OR TO THE RECITATION OF NEVER ENDING TALES OF ABU ZAID A FAMOUS HERO OF BENNIHILAL OR OF ANTAR THE GLORIOUS POLITICS OF WHICH THEY HAVE AMAZING IDEAS ALSO CAME IN FOR DISCUSSION NAPOLEON BONAPARTE AND QUEEN VICTORIA ARE STILL LIVING FIGURES TO THEM BUT SIGNIFICANTLY ENOUGH THEY CONSIDERED THE KAISER KING OF ALL KINGS OF THIS WORLD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SULTAN WHOM THEY ADMITTED TO EQUALITY
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