' 'How do you
know that?' said the priest. 'If you doubt my words,' said the Cogia,
'take a measure and see whether it comes to more or less.' Another of
the priests coming forward said, 'How many stars are there in the face of
the heaven above us?' Said the Cogia, 'As many hairs as there are upon
my ass so many stars are there in the heaven.' 'How do you know?' said
the priest. 'If you doubt,' said the Cogia, 'come and count, and if
there is any difference, say at once.' 'Have you counted, then,' said
the priest, 'the hairs upon your ass?' 'And have you counted how many
stars there are?' said the Cogia. Then another priest coming forward
said, 'If you can answer my question the whole of us will adopt your
religion.' 'Speak,' said the Cogia, 'let us hear it.' 'Tell me, O
Cogia,' said the priest, 'how many hairs there are in this beard of
mine.' 'Just as many,' said the Cogia, 'as there are hairs in my ass's
tail.' 'How do you know?' said the priest. 'Soul of mine,' said the
Cogia, 'if you don't believe, come and count.' The priest would not
consent. 'If you will not consent,' said the Cogia, 'come, let us pluck
hair for hair from your beard and from the ass's tail and see if they
don't tally.' The priest, seeing that he had the worst of the argument,
turned to the way of truth, and forthwith said to his companions, 'I
embrace the faith of Islam,' and acknowledged the unity of God.
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