CHAPTERXVII
Thetent-Pleasantdiscourse-IamPharaoh-Shiftingforone’sself-Horse-shoes-Thisiswonderful-Blessyourwisdom-A
prettymanoeuvre-IlldaytotheRomans-MynameisHerne-
Singularpeople-Anoriginalspeech-Word-master-SpeakingRomanly。
WEwenttothefarthestofthetents，whichstoodataslightdistancefromtherest，andwhichexactlyresembledtheonewhichI
havedescribedonaformeroccasion；wewentinandsatdownoneoneachsideofasmallfire，whichwassmoulderingontheground，therewasnooneelseinthetentbutatalltawnywomanofmiddleage，whowasbusilyknitting。’Brother，’saidJasper，’Iwishtoholdsomepleasantdiscoursewithyou。’
’Asmuchasyouplease，’saidI，’providedyoucanfindanythingpleasanttotalkabout。’
’Neverfear，’saidJasper；’andfirstofallwewilltalkofyourself。Wherehaveyoubeenallthislongtime？’
’Hereandthere，’saidI，’andfarandnear，goingaboutwiththesoldiers；butthereisnosoldieringnow，sowehavesatdown，fatherandfamily，inthetownthere。’
’Anddoyoustillhuntsnakes？’saidJasper。
’No，’saidI，’Ihavegivenupthatlongago；Idobetternow：
readbooksandlearnlanguages。’
’Well，Iamsorryyouhavegivenupyoursnake-hunting，many’sthestrangetalkIhavehadwithourpeopleaboutyoursnakeandyourself，andhowyoufrightenedmyfatherandmotherinthelane。’
’Andwhereareyourfatherandmother？’
’WhereIshallneverseethem，brother；atleast，Ihopeso。’
’Notdead？’
’No，notdead；theyarebitchadeypawdel。’
’What’sthat？’
’Sentacross-banished。’
’Ah!Iunderstand；Iamsorryforthem。Andsoyouareherealone？’
’Notquitealone，brother。’
’No，notalone；butwiththerest-TawnoChiknotakescareofyou。’
’Takescareofme，brother!’
’Yes，standstoyouintheplaceofafather-keepsyououtofharm’sway。’
’Whatdoyoutakemefor，brother？’
’Foraboutthreeyearsolderthanmyself。’
’Perhaps；butyouareoftheGorgios，andIamaRommanyChal。
TawnoChiknotakecareofJasperPetulengro!’
’Isthatyourname？’
’Don’tyoulikeit？’
’Verymuch，Ineverheardasweeter；itissomethinglikewhatyoucallme。’
’Thehorse-shoemasterandthesnake-fellow，Iamthefirst。’
’Whogaveyouthatname？’
’AskPharaoh。’
’Iwould，ifhewerehere，butIdonotseehim。’
’IamPharaoh。’
’Thenyouareaking。’
’ChachipenPal。’
’Idonotunderstandyou。’
’Whereareyourlanguages？Youwanttwothings，brother：mothersense，andgentleRommany。’
’WhatmakesyouthinkthatIwantsense？’
’That，beingsoold，youcan’tyetguideyourself!’
’IcanreadDante，Jasper。’
’Anan，brother。’
’Icancharmsnakes，Jasper。’
’Iknowyoucan，brother。’
’Yes，andhorsestoo；bringmethemostviciousintheland，ifI
whisperhe’llbetame。’
’Thenthemoreshameforyou-asnake-fellow-ahorse-witch-andalil-reader-yetyoucan’tshiftforyourself。Ilaughatyou，brother!’
’Thenyoucanshiftforyourself？’
’Formyselfandforothers，brother。’
’AndwhatdoesChikno？’
’Sellsmehorses，whenIbidhim。Thosehorsesonthechongweremine。’
’Andhashenoneofhisown？’
’Sometimeshehas；butheisnotsowelloffasmyself。Whenmyfatherandmotherwerebitchadeypawdel，which，totellyouthetruth，theywereforchivingwafododloovu，theyleftmealltheyhad，whichwasnotalittle，andIbecametheheadofourfamily，whichwasnotasmallone。Iwasnotolderthanyouwhenthathappened；yetourpeoplesaidtheyhadneverabetterkrallistocontriveandplanforthem，andtokeeptheminorder。AndthisissowellknownthatmanyRommanyChals，notofourfamily，comeandjointhemselvestous，livingwithusforatime，inordertobetterthemselves，moreespeciallythoseofthepoorersort，whohavelittleoftheirown。Tawnoisoneofthese。’
’Isthatfinefellowpoor？’
’Oneofthepoorest，brother。Handsomeasheis，hehasnotahorseofhisowntorideon。Perhapswemayputitdowntohiswife，whocannotmoveabout，beingacripple，asyousaw。’
’AndyouarewhatiscalledaGypsyKing？’
’Ay，ay；aRommanyKral。’
’Arethereotherkings？’
’Thosewhocallthemselvesso；butthetruePharaohisPetulengro。’
’DidPharaohmakehorse-shoes？’
’Thefirstwhoeverdid，brother。’
’PharaohlivedinEgypt。’
’Sodidweonce，brother。’
’Andyouleftit？’
’Myfathersdid，brother。’
’Andwhydidtheycomehere？’
’Theyhadtheirreasons，brother。’
’AndyouarenotEnglish？’
’Wearenotgorgios。’
’Andyouhavealanguageofyourown？’
’Avali。’
’Thisiswonderful。’
’Ha，ha!’criedthewoman，whohadhithertosatknitting，atthefartherendofthetent，withoutsayingaword，thoughnotinattentivetoourconversation，asIcouldperceivebycertainglanceswhichsheoccasionallycastuponusboth。’Ha，ha!’shescreamed，fixinguponmetwoeyes，whichshonelikeburningcoals，andwhichwerefilledwithanexpressionbothofscornandmalignity，’Itiswonderful，isit，thatweshouldhavealanguageofourown？What，yougrudgethepoorpeoplethespeechtheytalkamongthemselves？That’sjustlikeyougorgios；youwouldhaveeverybodystupid，single-tonguedidiots，likeyourselves。WearetakenbeforethePokneesofthegav，myselfandsister，togiveanaccountofourselves。SoIsaystomysister’slittleboy，speakingRommany，Isaystothelittleboywhoiswithus，RuntomysonJasper，andtherest，andtellthemtobeoff，therearehawksabroad。SothePokneesquestionsus，andletsusgo，notbeingabletomakeanythingofus；but，aswearegoing，hecallsusback。“Goodwoman，“saysthePoknees，“whatwasthatIheardyousayjustnowtothelittleboy？““Iwastellinghim，yourworship，togoandseethetimeofday，andtosavetrouble，Isaiditinourlanguage。““Wheredidyougetthatlanguage？“saysthePoknees。“’Tisourownlanguage，sir，“Itellshim，“wedidnotstealit。““ShallItellyouwhatitis，mygoodwoman？“saysthePoknees。“Iwouldthankyou，sir，“saysI，“for’tisoftenweareaskedaboutit。““Well，then，“saysthePoknees，“itisnolanguageatall，merelyamade-upgibberish。““Oh，blessyourwisdom，“saysI，withacurtsey，“youcantelluswhatourlanguageis，withoutunderstandingit!“Anothertimewemeetaparson。