TOLD THE TRUTH

New Zealand Tablet, 23 August 1906, Page 37

TOLD THE TRUTH

Here s a cup I got in Morocco,' said an enthusiastic tourist, showing his collection of souvenirs ' You see it has an Arabic inscription.' His friend was turning the cup curiously around At length he remarked dryly : ' Yes, the inscription is Arabic all right.' ' 1 Sure !' replied the returned tourist, a little miffed at the intimation oi a possible doubt. ' You can read it belter if you turn the cup upside down, 1 suggested the friouri'; and, suiting the action to the woid, he showed the tourist that the mysterious characters wt'ic nothing more than ' 1903 ' engraved in rough, irregular figures on the metal. 'The rascal!' exclaimed tiic outraged collector. 'He to Id me it was an Arabic inscription when he sold it to me !' IHe told you nothing more than the truth,' was the reply. ' You forget that our numerals are Arabic." But some-how from that moment the collector lost interest in the souvenir from Moiocco.