[308] As The Nights show，Arabs admire slender forms；but the hips and hinder cheeks must be highly developed and the stomach fleshy rather than lean. The reasons are obvious. The Persians who exaggerate everything say e.g. （Husayn Vaiz in the AnvariSuhayli）：
How paint her hips and waist ？ Who saw A mountain （Koh） dangling to a straw （kah）？
In Antar his beloved Abla is a tamarisk （T. Orientalis）. Others compare with the palmtree （Solomon），the Cypress （Persian，esp.
Hafiz and Firdausi） and the Arak or wild Capparis （Arab.）.
[309] Ubi aves ibi angel）. All African travellers know that a few birds flying about the bush，and a few palmtrees waving in the wind，denote the neighbourhood of a village or a camp （where angels are scarce）. The reason is _disibledevent=Give me drink （of the slayer's blood） ！ and which disappeared only when the vendetta was accomplished. Mohammed forbade the belief. Amongst the Southern Slavs the cuckoo is supposed to be the sister of a murdered man ever calling or vengeance.
[329] To obtain a blessing and show how he valued it.