| Show WRESTLING WITH RUSSIAN the traveler wanted a towel and finally got it A U savage I andor la his book 0 travel across coveted lands relates an amusing railway incident that occurred in russia while he was en route to persia unable to get at towels packed in my registered baggage and ignorant of the hesslan language he says 1 I inquired of a polyglot fellow passenger what was the russian word for towel to that I 1 could ask the guard for one PalaO ensi said he and I 1 repeated lensi lensi as to impress the word well upon my memory having enjoyed a good wash and a shampoo and dripping all with water I 1 rang for the guard and sure enough when the man came I 1 could not recollect the word at last it upon me that it was palaton akl and I 1 asked of the guard to my surprise the guard smiled graciously and putting on a modest air replied jaruski pa 1 I do not latin I 1 speak only russian and the more I 1 repeated putting the inflection now on one syllable then on the other to make him understand the more flattered the man seemed to be and modestly gave the same answer this was incomprehensible to me until my polyglot fellow passenger came to my assistance do you know what you are asking the guard he said in convulsions of laughter yes I 1 am asking for a a towel you are not and he positively went into means do yon speak latin how can you expect a russian railway guard to speak latin look bow incensed the poor man Is at being mistaken for a latin ec holar ask him for a palati ensi and he will run for a towel the man did run on the magic word being pronounced and duly returned with a nice clean lensi which however was of little use to me for I 1 had by this time got dry by the natural processes of dripping evaporation |
