I will fancy I am in some Bedouin shanty, and this river here is the Nile, that has overflowed, and these beasts that are croaking in the water--comment s'appelle ca ?--frogs?
oh yes, of course--these frogs are the alligators of the Nile.

And this miserable country--what do you call this department ?" "It is not a part of anything, sir; it is a dam, the dam of the cross-roads, we call it." "Fripon! I am not speaking of the mud in which I stuck fast, but of the district all about here.

What do they call it ?" "Oh, I see! They call it the county of Szabolcs." "Szabolcs, eh?
Szabolcs?
C'est parceque, no doubt, so many _szabos_[3] live in it, eh?
Ha, ha! That was a good _calembourg_ of mine, c'est une plaisanterie.

Dost understand ?" [Footnote 3: Tailors.] "I can't say for certain, but I believe the Hungarians so called it after the name of one of their ancient leaders who led them out of Asia." "Ah, c'est beau! Very nice, I mean.

The worthy magyars name their departments after their ancient patriarchs.