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。