The Moslems have recourse, to determine them when they are in doubt as
to any action, to a table called _Zairgeh_, divided into a hundred
squares, in each of which is written some Arabic letter. The person who
consults it, repeats three times the opening chapter of the Koran, and
58th verse of the sixth chapter. “With Him are the keys of the secret
things: none knoweth them but him. He knoweth whatever is on the dry
ground or in the sea; there falleth no leaf but He knoweth it; neither
is there a single grain in the dark parts of the earth, nor a green
thing, nor a dry thing, but it is written in a perspicuous book.” He
places his finger at random upon the table; he then looks to see upon
what letter his finger is placed, writes that letter, the fifth
following it, and the fifth following this, until he comes to the first
which he wrote, and these letters together compose the answer. The
construction of the table is thus:—
┌───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┐
│_d_│_w_│_w_│_a_│_w_│_o_│_h_│_a_│_b_│_h_│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│_i_│_o_│_i_│_s_│_o_│_t_│_d_│_t_│_t_│_w_│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│_w_│_o_│_a_│_a_│_a_│_i_│_e_│_n_│_i_│_i_│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│_t_│_s_│_d_│_n_│_t_│_h_│_i_│_a_│_a_│_e_│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│_o_│_t_│_t_│_n_│_t_│_u_│_w_│_t_│_d_│_h_│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│_t_│_i_│_a_│_e_│_s_│_f_│_l_│_i_│_n_│_u_│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│_e_│_l_│_u_│_j_│_c_│_a_│_d_│_t_│_o_│_c_│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│_r_│_o_│_h_│_y_│_e_│_o_│_w_│_y_│_p_│_e_│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│_f_│_r_│_w_│_e_│_d_│_i_│_o_│_i_│_a_│_e_│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│_l_│_n_│_s_│_c_│_t_│_l_│_g_│_h_│_e_│_h_│
└───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┘
Fig. 40.
For example, suppose the finger to be placed on the letter _s_, second
in the fourth line, we take from the table the letters:—
_s—i—t—w—i—l—l—d—o—w—r—o—n—g—w—a—i—t—a—n_, which forms the answer:—“Wait
an(d) sit will do wrong,” an incentive to action quite clear.
The sentence always commences with the first of the letters taken from
the uppermost line. It will be seen that the table gives only five
answers, one of these with whatever letter of the alphabet we commence.
The framer of the table, knowing that men very frequently wish to do
wrong, and seldom to do what is right, and that it is generally safer
for them to abstain when in doubt, has given but one affirmative answer,
and four negative.
It was by this means that the dishonest Arab found out that Livingstone
was dead and did not want the goods he was taking to him, which shows
how reliable a forecast can be thus made. (See _The Finding of
Livingstone_.)
* * * * *
[Illustration]
A CHINESE PUZZLE.—A Chinaman died, leaving his property by will to his
three sons, as follows: “To Fum-Hum, the eldest, one half thereof; to
Nu-Pin, his second son, one-third thereof; and to Ding-Bat, his
youngest, one-ninth thereof.” When the property was inventoried, it was
found to consist of nothing more nor less than seventeen elephants, and
it puzzled these three heirs how to divide the property according to the
terms of the will without chopping up the seventeen elephants, and thus
perhaps injuring their lives. Finally, they applied to a wise Neighbour,
Y-sa-cur, for advice. Y-sa-cur had an elephant of his own. He drove it
into the yard with the seventeen, and said, “Now, we will suppose that
your father left these eighteen elephants. Fum-Hum, take your half, and
depart.” So Fum-Hum took nine elephants and went his way. “Now, Nu-Pin,”
said the wise man, “take your third, and remove!” So Nu-Pin took six
elephants and travelled. “Now Ding-Bat,” said the wise man, “take your
ninth, and begone.” So Ding-Bat took two elephants and absquatulated.
Then Y-sa-cur took his own elephant and drove home again.
Query: Was the property divided according to the terms of the will?