‘He must be a religious and serious old man,’ remarked Steve in a way, as if he wished to draw out old Simon. ‘He never jokes or laughs, it appears to me.’
‘That is because, I suppose, you only see him in public. If you see him in private amongst his friends, especially when travelling, he is very fond of his joke. He _is_ certainly very religious, he fears his God, and is a true Christian. But he loves a joke nevertheless.’
‘I remember once we were travelling together. We were amusing ourselves with conundrums; at last the President said,--
‘“I will give you a riddle now. There is a kraal built of high stone walls. A troop of asses wish to get into that kraal, for the lions are roaring around them, and safety is to be found in the kraal. How will they get in? Over the wall they cannot; and through the gate they may not go. How are they to get inside?” said he, turning to old Mijnheer van Heerden, a member of our party.
‘“I know not?” replied Mijnheer van Heerden.
‘“Then you are as stupid as the asses themselves, for they knew not how to get in either.” Of course Mijnheer van Heerden had to join in the laugh too. He was nicely caught, ha! ha! ha!’
‘Talking of being nicely caught?’ said Oom Hendrik, another senior of the party. ‘I once knew a wild fellow who always liked to play practical jokes. His name was Petrus. One day he met a minister, looking gentle, meek and mild, and also a little green, but looks are sometimes deceptive, as you will see. He went up to the minister and said to him, “Mijnheer, do you practice as well as preach the Bible?”’
‘“The Bible says, ‘If a man should strike you on the left cheek, turn to him the right cheek, that he may strike that also.’” And he gave the minister a good slap on the left cheek. The minister quietly turned the right cheek to him; he was a little disconcerted at this, but struck it in a half-hearted sort of way, and said, “Yes, I see you do practice as well as preach.” But it was the turn of the minister now, who said,--
‘“Yes, but wait a bit, my friend, the Bible also says, ‘That by the same measure that ye shall measure others with shall ye also be measured by.’” And the minister took his coat off, and set to, and gave Petrus the best thrashing he ever had in his life.’