Tales and Stories

Chapter 15 - Keeping Cool

“Such a man would be employed as a handsome wage in the Middle East,” Kifkef observed, “It is not known whether flies were sent by Allah to test us or by Satan to irk us - Curse his filthy name.”

“I just throw wet leaves on the fire and fill up the cave with smoke.” The sadhu said, “They tend to leave me alone then.”

“And lung cancer is a small price to pay.”

“Whatever gave you the idea that smoking is bad for the health, Lou?” He replied, lighting two more cigarettes with the filters turned off.

“I have no problem with flies anyway,” she shrugged, “When they crawl on my skin it’s sort of…erotic.”

“Yes, but if I might continue,” Kifkef objected, “My point was that my people hardy need any encouragement to anger - we are hardly famed for our calm dispositions.

Yet in Fez we know better than most the value of keeping one’s cool. For once it is lost it is very hard to recover.

The Story of the Lost Cool