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‫الحروف العربية وأصواتها‬
 ‫العربية الوظيفية للمبتدئين‬
‫الطبعة الثالثة‬

‫حروف العربية وأصواتها‬

‫ألن كالرك‬ ‫ ‬
‫مهدي العش‬

‫دار جامعة ييل للنشر‬

‫نيو هيڤن ولندن‬
 Ahlan wa Sahlan
Functional Modern Standard Arabic for Beginners
Third Edition

Letters and Sounds of the Arabic Language

Mahdi Alosh Allen Clark

Yale University Press

New Haven and London
 Copyright © 2021 by Mahdi Alosh and Allen Clark.
All rights reserved.
This book may not be reproduced,
in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form
(beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of
the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press),
without written permission from the publishers.

Project Editor: Ashley Lago

Development Editor: Karen Hohner
Production Editor: Ann-Marie Imbornoni
Production Controller: Katie Golden
Designer: Mary Valencia
Typesetter: Allen Clark

Printed in the United States of America.

ISBN: 978-0-300-23373-5
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
 ‫محتويات الكتاب‬
Contents

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii

Unit One ‫الوحد ُة األولى‬

َ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
1.. Common Greetings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2.. Introducing Oneself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
3..Leave-Taking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
4.. A Quick Look at Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
5.. The Arabic Alphabet: Read right to left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
6.. The Arabic Alphabet: One-Way Connectors ‫ ز‬،‫ ر‬،‫ ذ‬،‫ د‬،‫ و‬،‫ا‬. . . . . . . . . . . . .7
A.. The Letter alif (‫)ا‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
B.. The Letter wāw (‫)و‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
C.. The Letter rā’ (‫ )ر‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
D.. The Letters dāl (‫ )د‬and dāl (‫)ذ‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
E.. Combining Sounds/Letters into Syllables and Words . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
F.. Distinguishing among Similar Letters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Vocabulary ‫الم ْف َردات‬
ُ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Unit Two ‫الوحدَ ُة الثانِي ُة‬

َ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
1.. Identifying Yourself and Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
. Inquiring about Someone’s Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
2.. Separate Personal Pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.. Arabic Alphabet: Two-Way Connectors ‫ ي‬،‫ ن‬،‫ ث‬،‫ ت‬،‫ ب‬. . . . . . . . . . . . 27
A.. The Letters bā’ (‫)ب‬, tā’ (‫)ت‬, tā’ (‫ )ث‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
B.. The Letters nūn (‫ )ن‬and yā’ (‫)ي‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
C.. The Letter yā’ (‫ )ي‬as a Vowel and a Semivowel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
D.. Different Handwriting Styles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

v Contents
 4.. Long and Short Vowels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
A.. Vowel Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
B.. The Short Vowel fatḥa ( َ‫ ) ـ‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
C.. The Short Vowel ḍamma ( ُ‫) ـ‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
D.. The Short Vowel kasra ( ِ‫) ـ‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Vocabulary ‫الم ْف َردات‬
ُ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Unit Three ‫الوحدَ ُة الثالِث ُة‬

َ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
1.. The Morning Greeting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
2.. Asking about Well-Being. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
3.. Arabic Alphabet: Two-Way Connectors ‫ ة‬،‫ ق‬،‫ ف‬،‫ خ‬،‫ ح‬،‫ ج‬،‫ ش‬،‫ س‬. . . . . . . 45
A.. The Letters sīn (‫ )س‬and šīn (‫ )ش‬and Their Sounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
.The ‫ س‬and ‫ ش‬in Handwriting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
B.. The Letters jīm (‫)ج‬, ḥā’ (‫)ح‬, ḳā’ (‫ )خ‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
. 1. The Sound of the Letter jīm (‫)ج‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
. 2. The Sound of the Letter ḥā’ (‫)ح‬.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
. 3. The Sound of the Letter ḳā’ (‫)خ‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
C.. The Letters fā’ (‫ )ف‬and qāf (‫)ق‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
. Phonetic Description of the qāf (‫ )ق‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
D.. The Letter tā’ marbūṭa (‫ )ة‬and Its Sound. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
. Attaching a Suffix to a Word Ending in ‫ة‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
‫الم ْف َردات‬
ُ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Unit Four ‫الوحدَ ُة الرابِ َع ُة‬

َ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
1.. Inquiring about and Identifying Place of Origin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
2.. Nominal Sentences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
3.. Separate Pronouns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
4.. Colloquial Arabic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Contents vi
 5.. Arabic Alphabet: Two-Way Connectors ‫ غ‬،‫ ع‬،‫ ظ‬،‫ ط‬،‫ ض‬،‫ ص‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
A.. The Letters ṣād (‫ )ص‬and ḍād (‫)ض‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
. 1. The Sound of the Letter ṣād (‫)ص‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
. 2. The Sound of the Letter ḍād (‫)ض‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
B.. The Letters ṭā’ (‫ )ط‬and ẓā’ (‫ )ظ‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
. Pronunciation of ‫ ط‬and ‫ ظ‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
C.. The Letters ‘ayn (‫ )ع‬and ġayn (‫)غ‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
. 1. The Sound of the Letter ‘ayn (‫)ع‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
. 2. The Sound of the Letter ġayn (‫ )غ‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
6.. Inquiring about and Identifying Arab Cities and Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
7.. Arab States, Political Systems, and Capitals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
‫الم ْف َردات‬
ُ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

ِ
Unit Five ‫الخامس ُة‬ ‫الوحدَ ُة‬
َ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
1.. Arabic Alphabet: Two-Way Connectors ‫ ه‬،‫ م‬،‫ ك‬،‫ل‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
A.. The Letter lām (‫ )ل‬and Its Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
B.. The Letter kāf (‫ )ك‬and Its Sound. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
C.. The Letter mīm (‫)م‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
D.. The Letter hā’ (‫ )ه‬and Its Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
2.. Familiar Objects around the House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
3.. Describing National and Regional Affiliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
4.. The Relative Noun nisba (‫)اِ ْس ُم النِسبة‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
5.. Gender in Arabic Nouns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
‫الم ْف َردات‬
ُ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

ِ
Unit Six ‫السادس ُة‬ ‫الوحدَ ُة‬
َ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
1.. Familiar Objects in the Classroom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
2.. Expressing Possession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
3.. Attached Pronouns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
. Feminine Words and the Attached Pronoun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

vii Contents
 4.. The Letters alif maqṣūra (‫ )ى‬and hamza (‫ )ء‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
A.. The Letter alif maqṣūra (‫ )ى‬and Its Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
B.. The Letter hamza (‫ )ء‬and Its Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
5.. Diacritical Marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
A..The šadda (‫ )ـّـ‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
B..The madda (‫)آ‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
C..The tanwīn (‫) َتنْوين‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
D..The sukūn ‫ ) ْ( ُسكون‬. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
6.. The Short alif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
7.. Colloquial Arabic: Phonological Variation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
8.. Representation of Foreign Sounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
‫الم ْف َردات‬
ُ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Appendix A: Arabic Alphabet and Diacritical Marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Appendix B: A Key to the Arabic Sound System

and the Transliteration System Used in the Workbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Appendix C: Answer Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Appendix D: Video Scripts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Cumulative Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Illustration Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181

Contents viii
 Introduction

Letters and Sounds of the Arabic Language has been designed as a workbook to ac-
company Ahlan wa Sahlan, Third Edition, but it may also be used independently as an in-
troduction to Arabic orthography, phonology, basic words and phrases, and culture.
This workbook is divided into six units; most units begin with a presentation of
some basic language functions (e.g., greeting people, introducing oneself, describing one’s
place of origin) accompanied by comprehension exercises based on the audio program (in-
dicated by this symbol ) and the video (indicated by this symbol ). Cultural notes
describe some of the conventions related to these conversational exchanges; the workbook
also contains an introduction to the Arab states and political systems, as well as a discussion
of some regional differences in Arabic.
The introduction of these basic conversational exchanges achieves a threefold objec-
tive: establishing a communicative classroom, honing learner listening and speaking skills,
and whetting the student’s desire to hold authentic conversations outside of class. Video
scenes support all of the workbook’s communicative activities and offer a window into how
the phrases are used in context. After viewing the video scenes, students are provided with
communicative exercises that not only help them learn the phrases, but also foster a sense
of community by promoting authentic interaction with their classroom peers.
The Arabic script is introduced letter by letter, with groupings dependent on the
shape of the basic form or shell. Each letter progresses through a six-phase introduction:
(1) providing a chart that illustrates the letter’s four positions (initial, medial, final, and
independent); (2) presenting a diagram of how the letter is drawn, using shaded arrows for
guidance; (3) tracing the letter in all of its positions in words accompanied by illustrations;
(4) practicing the letter in all of its positions; (5) tracing full words; and then (6) writing
those words. Listening exercises such as word recognition and dictation reinforce the rela-
tionship between the letters introduced in that unit and their associated sounds. Units con-
clude with recognition exercises in which the letters are used within an authentic context
such as maps, newspaper clippings, or advertisements.
We include four appendixes at the back of the workbook for easy reference: Ap-
pendix A contains the Arabic alphabet and diacritical marks with the different forms of
the letters according to their positions in the word and the Roman symbol representing
each letter. Appendix B contains a key to the sound system of Arabic and the transliteration
system used in this workbook (that is, the Roman symbols used to represent Arabic letters).
Appendix C contains an answer key to all of the discrete-answer exercises in the workbook,
including listening and video exercises. Appendix D contains the video scripts.
At the end of the book, there is a cumulative glossary, or dictionary, containing
all the words found in the vocabulary lists at the end of the units, as well as key words
from the listening and video passages. The vocabulary in the cumulative glossary is marked
with the lesson number where each word first appears. Although in the initial stage (see

ix Introduction
the vocabulary list at the end of each unit) we use transliteration in order to facilitate the
learning process for the beginner, we use it sparingly, to exemplify sounds or letters that
students have not learned yet; in the cumulative vocabulary transliteration is not used.
Letters and Sounds of the Arabic Language is merely one component of the Ahlan wa
Sahlan educational package, which presents the learner with multiple avenues to explore
Arabic: this workbook, the textbook, the video and audio programs, and an online interac-
tive exercise program.

To access the video and audio programs, go to

yalebooks.com/ahlan

We provide the instructor with an Annotated Instructor’s Edition of the textbook

and online resources that include lesson plans, handouts, exercises, texts, and examinations
to facilitate the use of the textbook and its supplementary materials.

To the Student
What is the key to learning a foreign language well? Before you embark on your jour-
ney in learning Arabic using this instructional package, you may wish to take some time to
reflect on this question. Over the past decade, students have offered nearly every conceivable
answer after I pose it on the first day of my Arabic classes. The answer that I have become
convinced is “correct” is: to think in the language. No matter what your original answer may
have been, thinking in the language is central to learning a language well by practicing it on
a minute-by-minute basis. This is possible even at the very beginning of your Arabic studies
by containing your thoughts in Arabic, using an internal banter as practice, and gradually
widening the scope of language use by introducing new words into your repertoire. Make
this language your own by actively seeking out those vocabulary words that you use in your
mother tongue. These are the words with which you will be expressing yourself and that, in
turn, will create an Arabic persona. The more you practice, the more permanent your learn-
ing becomes and the stronger your individuality will become in Arabic. We encourage you
to actively surround yourself with the language as much as possible, and we have made this
quite easy for you in fact. Simply by visiting our website at yalebooks.com/ahlan, you can
access all of Letters and Sounds of the Arabic Language’s video and audio materials on your
smartphone, tablet, or computer so that you may listen to or watch them wherever you are
and whenever you wish.
Much has been said about the difficulty of learning Arabic. In fact, the United States
government lists Arabic as a Category 4 language—among the most difficult for an Ameri-
can to learn. You may view the notion of difficulty in one of two ways: as an obstacle or as
a challenge. We tend to think that Arabic is not so much difficult for the Western learner
as it is different. According to studies completed in 2006 in which Arabic grammar was

Introduction x
compared to other world languages, it was found that verb conjugation in Arabic is logical
(less complex than Spanish), its tense system is easier than English, and given that Arabic
is a root-derivational language, it is quite mathematical and elegant in its dexterity—mean-
ing that it is able to accommodate new concepts using its derivational qualities. What this
means for you is that you can not only learn Arabic, but learn it well.
We designed the Ahlan wa Sahlan educational package and the Letters and Sounds
of the Arabic Language workbook to guide you on the most direct learning path to achieve
functional language goals and proficiency. It is our hope that this workbook will serve not
only to anticipate pitfalls, but also to allow you to experience the joy of learning one of the
oldest living languages on the planet and the riches that it has to offer.

To the Instructor
Letters and Sounds of the Arabic Language introduces learners of Arabic to the lan-
guage’s sound and writing systems and provides them with basic structural and lexical
knowledge that will enable them to communicate in Arabic and maintain interest in the
study of the language. As with the Second Edition of Ahlan wa Sahlan, the workbook is
separate from the textbook in order to make learning the Arabic sounds and letters more
manageable and to focus more on the mechanics of reading and writing in addition to in-
troducing language functions.
Letters and Sounds of the Arabic Language, used in conjunction with Ahlan wa
Sahlan, Third Edition, and the accompanying supplementary material, attempts to pro-
vide a learning environment conducive to effective acquisition of specific language abilities.
These abilities, in their totality, create a measure of proficiency in Arabic. Upon completing
this course, the average learner may achieve a proficiency level within the Intermediate
Mid range established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
(ACTFL). Naturally, results vary with respect to individual learner differences and may
range between higher or lower proficiency levels.

Mahdi Alosh Allen Clark

Professor of Arabic and Applied Linguistics Associate Professor of Arabic
Mahdi.Alosh@gmail.com Co-Director Arabic Flagship Program
The University of Mississippi
University, MS 38677

xi Introduction
 Acknowledgments

I am indebted to so many individuals whose contributions improved the quality of this work,
including students of Arabic at various institutions inside and outside the United States as well as
colleagues who used the first edition and took time out of their busy schedules to provide me with
feedback. I am especially indebted to my wife, Ibtissam, for putting up with the endless hours
I spent on developing the material and for designing and programming the computer-assisted
program that accompanied the first edition. I would like to acknowledge the opportunity to work
initially on the project and the administrative support provided by Professor Frederick Cadora,
Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at The Ohio State University. I
am indebted to the extraordinary assistance and input by Allen Clark, who serves as a co-author
of the third edition. He brings with him extensive experience in teaching the first two editions as
well as the perspectives of learner and specialist. I also appreciate the expert assistance of Fayez
Al-Ghalayini, whose meticulous editing of the Arabic portion of this textbook and assiduous
input and profuse comments on the grammatical aspect improved the quality of this work and
made it more accurate. I thank Lalainya Goldsberry, Hiba Abdallah, and Nevine Demian for
providing factual and cultural information about Egypt. The ancillary materials associated with
the textbook have received much assistance from several individuals. The online program has
gone through several phases to which Abdulkafi Albirini, Allen Clark, Hanan Kashou, Rick
Trinkle, Farah Combs, and J. C. Raymond contributed, each one in his or her area of expertise. I
am also indebted to Khaled Huthaily, whose meticulous work on the program has made it more
user friendly and effective. I thank Nonie Williams and Lana Khodary for the many hours they
devoted to the recording of the audio material. I recognize the quality work by Dima Barakat and
Maya Pastalides in designing, scripting, shooting, and producing the video program.

Finally, I thank the outside reviewers, whose comments on the manuscript and suggestions for
improvements are gratefully appreciated:

Shukri Abed, Middle East Institute

Ghazi Abu-Hakema, Middlebury College
Abdulkafi Albirini, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Roger Allen, University of Pennsylvania
Muhammad Aziz, Yale University
Elizabeth Bergman, Georgetown University
Mirena Christoff, Brown University
Liljana Elverskog, University of North Texas
Fadia Hamid, Chagrin Falls Schools, Ohio
Eric Lewis
Summer Loomis, University of Washington, Seattle
Oraib Mango, Arizona State University
Ellen McLarney, Stanford University
David J. Mehall, University of Maryland
Harry Neale, University of California, Berkeley
The late Waheed Samy, University of Michigan
Carl Sharif El-Tobgui, Brandeis University

Introduction xii
 ‫الوحد ُة األولى‬
َ
Unit One
Objectives
• Learning two common greetings
• Introducing oneself
• Taking leave
• Introduction to the one-way connectors ‫ا و د ذ ر ز‬
• Introduction to the Arabic numbers 1–10

1. Common Greetings

.ً‫أهال‬
ْ .‫َم ْر َحب ًا‬

There are several common greetings used in Arabic, and here we have chosen to introduce
two of the most frequent. The greeting represented above is roughly equivalent to the English
greeting-response “hi–hello.” The woman on the right says marḥaban and the woman on
the left responds ahlan. As in English, the response may repeat the greeting (“hi–hi” or in
Arabic marḥaban–marḥaban) or use a different word (“hi–hello” or in Arabic marḥaban–
ahlan), as is the case here.

„„ Cultural Note: This greeting can be said to anyone at any time of the day.

1 Unit One
 َ ‫َو َع َل ْيك ُُم‬
.‫السالم‬ .‫السال ُم َع َل ْيكُم‬
َ

The greeting above is one of the most common in the Arab and Islamic worlds. The young
man on the right initiates the greeting with as-salāmu ‘alaykum, which means “peace be
upon you” but functions as “hello.” It can be addressed to a single person or a group of
people in any situation, formal or informal. The response to this greeting is wa ‘alaykumu
s-salām meaning “and upon you peace.”

Cultural Note
One of this greeting’s functions is to announce one’s presence when entering
a home or a room. It is the obligation of one or more of the people present to
respond audibly. Further, you may use it even if its use would interrupt some
activity that is going on, such as a conversation. Many people, when greeting
or upon responding to a greeting, place the right hand on the chest. You will
notice that the response has the reverse word order of the greeting.

Greetings 22
 2. Introducing Oneself

ِ ‫ أنا‬-1
.‫ياسر‬
.‫ َت َش َّر ْفنا‬-2

.‫ أنا َرنا‬-3 .‫ َت َش َّر ْفنا‬-4

When meeting someone for the first time, you may introduce yourself by saying anā ‫“( أنا‬I
am . . .”) and then add your name, or you can say ismī ‫“( اِ ْسمي‬my name is . . .”) and then your
name. The other person responds by saying tašarrafnā ‫ت ََش َّر ْفنا‬, which is roughly equivalent
to “pleased to meet you” (literally: “we’ve been honored”). The exchange is repeated with the
other person saying their name.

3. Leave-Taking

.‫السال َمة‬ ِ ‫إلى‬

َ ‫َم َع‬ .‫اللقاء‬

Just like other greetings, leave-taking involves two different phrases. The phrase ilā
lliqā’ ‫ إلى اللِقاء‬is roughly equivalent to “I’ll see you later.” The response phrase ma‘a
s-salāma ‫المة‬ َ ‫الس‬
َ ‫ َم َع‬literally means “[go] with safety.” Normally, the phrase ma‘a
s-salāma ‫المة‬ َ ‫الس‬
َ ‫ َم َع‬is said by the person(s) staying behind, but it can also be used by the
one leaving, as is the case in many regions, including the Gulf.

3 Unit One
 Exercise 1 1 ‫تمرين‬
Video: Watch Unit 1: When you are watching the video, become an active participant by
repeating what you hear, trying to imitate the sounds and inflections used in the scenes.

Dialogue 1: Circle the best choice:

1. What are the names of the two speakers?

a. Name of Speaker 1 b. Name of Speaker 2

Samir Nadim
Adnan Sharif
Saeed Nabil
Ayman Shukry

2. How did Speaker 1 say “pleased to meet you”?

a. tašarrafnā
b. furṣa sa‘īda
c. ismī sāmir

Dialogue 2: Circle the best choice:

1. What are the names of the two speakers?

a. Name of the young woman b. Name of the young man

Muna Nadim
Kristine Abd Allah
Hala Ahmad
Manal Salim

2. How did the young woman say “hello” to the young man?
a. wa anā ayḍan
b. as-salāmu ‘alaykum
c. ma‘a s-salāma
d. furṣa sa‘īda

Greetings 44
 Exercise 2 2 ‫تمرين‬
Conversation: Try to hold your first conversation in Arabic with a classmate. To complete
this task you must remember (1) to greet your classmate; (2) to introduce yourself; and
(3) to say good-bye. Try to use both of the introductions that you learned in this lesson.
Endeavor to meet as many of your classmates as you can. Notice that the more you practice,
the more fluent you become.

• This is a culturally authentic conversation, so why not try it out with some speakers
of Arabic that you know outside the class? Practice not only makes perfect, it makes
permanent.

4. A Quick Look at Numbers

Until the Arabic numerals are covered, the following numeral conversion chart will help
you recognize the numbers in exercise items.

Numeral Conversion Chart

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Exercise 3 3 ‫تمرين‬
Identify the numbers on the Jordanian coins below and write your answers on the lines
below the coins.

______ -6 _____ -5 ____ -4 ____ -3 ____ -2 ____ -1

5 Unit One
 5. The Arabic Alphabet
Read right to left

tā’ tā’ bā’ alif

‫ث‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ب‬ ‫أ‬

dāl ḳā’ ḥā’ jīm

‫د‬ ‫خ‬ ‫ح‬ ‫ج‬

sīn zāy rā’ dāl

‫س‬ ‫ز‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ذ‬

ṭā’ ḍād ṣād šīn

‫ط‬ ‫ض‬ ‫ص‬ ‫ش‬

fā’ ġayn ʿayn ẓā’

‫ف‬ ‫غ‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ظ‬

mīm lām kāf qāf

‫م‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ك‬ ‫ق‬

yā’ wāw hā’ nūn

‫ي‬ ‫و‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ن‬

Greetings 66
 6. The Arabic Alphabet: One-Way Connectors

‫ز‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ذ‬ ‫د‬ ‫و‬ ‫ا‬

The Arabic phonetic system is easy to learn and master because the Arabic alphabet has a
high correspondence between sound and symbol. This means that a letter is pronounced
almost the same regardless of its position in a word.

The Arabic alphabet contains twenty-eight letters in addition to the hamza and two
variants of existing letters (see the alphabet chart on page 6). A number of diacritical marks
complement the alphabet. Diacritical marks are signs written above or below the letters.
Words are written and read from right to left.

Arabic is written cursively in that the letters connect to one another. However, some letters
only connect to preceding letters, or from the right side. These are known as one-way
connectors. The table on the following page lists them along with their pronunciations.

Exercise 4 4 ‫تمرين‬
Just for fun: See how many of these new letters you can identify in this road sign and circle
them.

7 Unit One
 One-Way Connectors

Sound Example Symbol Name Letter

dad, far ā alif ‫ألِف‬ ‫ا‬

boot, wet ū, w wāw ‫واو‬ ‫و‬

dim d dāl ‫دال‬ ‫د‬

then d dāl ‫ذال‬ ‫ذ‬

trilled r r rā’ ‫راء‬ ‫ر‬

busy z zāy ‫زاي‬ ‫ز‬

Look at how each of the letters below is written. Start from the right and move to left. All
strokes are made from right to left and from top to bottom. If there is a dot, it is placed
‫و‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ز‬
after the letter is drawn. Note that the letters wāw ( ), rā’ ( ), and zāy ( ) are curved and
‫د‬ ‫ذ‬
descend slightly below the line, whereas dāl ( ) and dāl ( ) are angled and do not go below
the line.

Greetings 88
 A. The Letter alif

‫ا‬
The alif is written from top to bottom in the independent position, but if it is connected to
a preceding letter, it is drawn from bottom up. Remember that it is a one-way connector; the
letter following it will always be in the initial position. The alif is considered a long vowel,
meaning long in duration in that when you pronounce it, it will feel like you are saying it too
long. But, if you don’t say it long enough, it turns into a short vowel. The alif is represented
in this book by the letter ā.

• Note that the alif can make two sounds: a “light” ā as in “dad” and a “dark” ā as in “far.”

Drawing the alif

Connected from the right Independent

Exercise 5 5 ‫تمرين‬
Trace over the gray letters: The alif appears in its independent and connected forms.

‫ِكتاب‬ ‫َغزال‬

9 Unit One
 Exercise 6 6 ‫تمرين‬
Tracing: Trace over the gray letters and copy them several times on a ruled sheet of paper.
Remember to make letters right to left and move from top to bottom.

‫ـا‬
‫ـا‬
‫ـا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ا ا‬
‫ـا‬
‫ـا‬
‫ـا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ا ا‬
‫ـا‬
‫ـا‬
‫ـا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ا ا‬
B. The Letter wāw

‫و‬
‫و‬
Like the English w, the letter wāw ( ) is both a vowel (as in “boot”) and a semivowel which
has a consonantal value (as in “wet”). It is easy to distinguish between the two because an
Arabic syllable does not start with a vowel, nor does it allow two vowels consecutively. Thus,
‫و‬
any followed or preceded by a vowel is certainly a semivowel. Consider the following
examples of wāw:

1. ‫ واد‬ consonant (followed by a vowel)

2. ‫ دود‬ vowel (preceded and followed by consonants)

3. ‫ داوود‬ consonant (preceded and followed by vowels)

‫و‬ ‫ا‬
Example 1 is made up of a consonant and a vowel (CV); example 2 contains a consonant
‫د‬ ‫و‬ ‫د‬
, a vowel , and another consonant (CVC); while example 3 contains two syllables, ‫دا‬
and ‫وود‬. When the two syllables of example 3 are joined, they produce the typical Arabic
word structure (CVCVC), where consonants and vowels alternate. Two general rules follow:

„„ Rule 1: An Arabic syllable always starts with a consonant, never with a vowel.
„„ Rule 2: Two vowels do not occur consecutively in a syllable.

Greetings 1010
 Drawing a wāw
Finish under the line Go around Start on the line

Exercise 7 7 ‫تمرين‬
Trace over the gray letters:

‫سور‬ ‫َو َرقة‬

Exercise 8 8 ‫تمرين‬
Circle all instances of the alif and the ‫ واو‬in the following sign:

11 Unit One
 C. The Letter rā’

‫ر‬
The Arabic r is tapped or trilled depending on its position in the word and can resemble the
r sound in both Spanish words pero and perro, where the tip of the tongue flaps against the
alveolar ridge behind the upper front teeth.

Connected from the right Independent

Place your pencil above the line starting at the top of the letter and draw a curved line
‫ر‬ ‫ز‬
downwards and slightly to the left in one stroke. The bottom of the and the go below
‫ز‬ ‫ر‬
the line. The is written in precisely the same manner as the , with the exception of the
dot placed directly over it. Remember that the dots in Arabic are written after the word has
been finished, just like dotting an i in English when writing in cursive.

__________________________________________ ‫ر‬
__________________________________________ ‫ز‬
Exercise 9 9 ‫تمرين‬
Trace over the gray letters: These letters appear in their independent and connected forms.

‫َسرير‬ ‫َث ْور‬

Greetings 1212
 ‫َج َزر‬ ‫َم ْوز‬
D. The Letters dāl and dāl

‫د‬ ‫ذ‬
Connected from the right Independent

Place your pencil above the line starting at the top of the letter and draw a roughly 45-degree
angle to create both the dāl and the dāl. The only difference between the two letters is the
dot above the dāl.

__________________________________________ ‫د‬
__________________________________________ ‫ذ‬

Algerian market
circa 1899

13 Unit One
 Exercise 10 10 ‫تمرين‬
Trace over the gray letters: These letters appear in their independent and connected forms.

‫َبدو‬ ‫َدجاج‬

‫ُمذيع‬ ‫ُذ َرة‬

Exercise 11 11 ‫تمرين‬
Trace over the gray letters: Remember to write from right to left. Your strokes should go
from top to bottom.

‫ز‬
‫ر‬
‫ذ‬
‫د‬
‫ا و‬
‫ز‬
‫ر‬
‫ذ‬
‫د‬
‫ا و‬
‫ز‬
‫ر‬
‫ذ‬
‫د‬
‫ا و‬

Greetings 1414
 Exercise 12 12 ‫تمرين‬
Drawing letters: See how many times you can write the same letter on each line.

__________________________________________ ‫ا‬
__________________________________________ ‫و‬
__________________________________________ ‫د‬
__________________________________________ ‫ذ‬
__________________________________________ ‫ر‬
__________________________________________ ‫ز‬

E. Combining Sounds/Letters into Syllables and Words

‫د‬ ‫ا‬
The combination of and is pronounced dā: = ‫ ا دا‬+ ‫د‬. Add another ‫ د‬to the end of the
syllable and you get a word: ‫داد‬. Try to sound it out.

‫ز‬ ‫ا‬
Likewise, the letters and make the syllable ‫زا‬. What is the syllable made by combining
‫ر‬ ‫و‬
the letters and ? Write it down in this blank ___________, moving from right to left.
Now combine the first and second syllables into one word and write it down in this blank
___________.

F. Distinguishing among Similar Letters

‫ذ‬ ‫د‬ ‫ذ‬

The letter dāl (d) differs from dāl (d) only by a dot placed above it ( ). The letter rā’
‫ر‬ ‫د‬ ‫د‬
(r) differs from dāl in the way it is drawn. Instead of the angled shape of , it has a
‫ر‬
slanting, curved shape and it descends slightly below the line ( ). The letter zāy (z) ‫ز‬
‫ر‬
is written like but with a dot above it. As you can see, it is important to attend to the
placement and number of dots of particular letters.

• Note that one-way connectors do not connect to each other.

15 Unit One
 Exercise 13 13 ‫تمرين‬
Listen and write: Listen to each word and repeat during the pause, then trace over the gray
words. Pronounce each word as you copy it. Note that the letters ‫ر‬  ‫ز‬  ‫و‬ descend slightly
below the line, whereas‫دذ‬ ‫ا‬
and do not.

‫زود‬ ‫ذاد‬ ‫زار‬ ‫واز‬ ‫راد‬ ‫دود‬

‫زود‬ ‫ذاد‬ ‫زار‬ ‫واز‬ ‫راد‬ ‫دود‬
‫زود‬ ‫ذاد‬ ‫زار‬ ‫واز‬ ‫راد‬ ‫دود‬
Exercise 14 14 ‫تمرين‬
Forming words: See how many times you can write the same word on each line.

__________________________________________ ‫دود‬
__________________________________________ ‫راد‬
__________________________________________ ‫واز‬
__________________________________________ ‫زار‬
__________________________________________ ‫ذاد‬
__________________________________________ ‫زود‬
Exercise 15 15 ‫تمرين‬
Listen and repeat: Listen to each word and repeat during the pause. Remember to read
from right to left. There are two items on each line:

‫زور‬ -2 ‫زاد‬ -1
‫دارو‬ -4 ‫ذود‬ -3
‫دوراد‬ -6 ‫زادو‬ -5
‫زاد‬ -8 ‫داوود‬
-7
‫رادود‬ -10 ‫واد‬ -9
‫وازو‬ -12 ‫زورو‬
-11

Greetings 1616
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
The Project Gutenberg eBook of A journey in
search of Christmas
 This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United
States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the
laws of the country where you are located before using this
eBook.

Title: A journey in search of Christmas

Author: Owen Wister

Illustrator: Frederic Remington

Release date: September 2, 2023 [eBook #71547]

Language: English

Original publication: New York: Harper & Brothers, 1904

Credits: Richard Tonsing, Charlene Taylor, and the Online

Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
(This file was produced from images generously made
available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A JOURNEY

IN SEARCH OF CHRISTMAS ***
Transcriber’s Note:
New original cover art included with this eBook is
granted to the public domain.

Lin McLean
 A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF CHRISTMAS

BY

OWEN WISTER
AUTHOR OF “LIN MCLEAN” “RED MEN AND WHITE” “THE JIMMYJOHN
BOSS” ETC.

ILLUSTRATED BY
FREDERIC REMINGTON

NEW YORK AND LONDON

HARPER & BROTHERS
PUBLISHERS MCMV
Copyright, 1904, by Harper & Brothers.

All rights reserved.

Published October, 1904.

 CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE
I. Lin’s Money Talks Joy 1
II. Lin’s Money is Dumb 13
III. A Transaction in Boot-Blacking 37
IV. Turkey and Responsibility 50
V. Santa Claus Lin 75
 ILLUSTRATIONS

Lin McLean Frontispiece

“Lin walked in their charge, they Facing 52
leading the way” p.
“‘This is Mister Billy Lusk’” „ 90
 A JOURNEY IN SEARCH
OF CHRISTMAS

I
Lin’s Money Talks Joy

The Governor
descended the steps of
the Capitol slowly and
with pauses, lifting a
list frequently to his
eye. He had
intermittently pencilled
it between stages of the
forenoon’s public
business, and his gait
grew absent as he
recurred now to his jottings in their
accumulation, with a slight pain at their number, and the definite
fear that they would be more in seasons to come. They were the
names of his friends’ children to whom his excellent heart moved
him to give Christmas presents. He had put off this regenerating evil
until the latest day, as was his custom, and now he was setting forth
to do the whole thing at a blow, entirely planless among the guns and
rocking-horses that would presently surround him. As he reached
the highway he heard himself familiarly addressed from a distance,
and, turning, saw four sons of the alkali jogging into town from the
plain. One who had shouted to him galloped out from the others,
rounded the Capitol’s enclosure, and, approaching with radiant
countenance, leaned to reach the hand of the Governor, and once
again greeted him with a hilarious “Hello, Doc!”
Governor Barker, M.D., seeing Mr. McLean
unexpectedly after several years, hailed the
horseman with frank and lively pleasure, and,
inquiring who might be the other riders
behind, was told that they were Shorty,
Chalkeye, and Dollar Bill, come for Christmas.
“And dandies to hit town with,” Mr. McLean
added. “Redhot.”
“I am acquainted with them,” assented his
Excellency.
“We’ve been ridin’ trail for twelve weeks,”
the cow-puncher continued, “and the money
in our pants is talkin’ joy to us right out loud.”
Then Mr. McLean overflowed with talk and pungent confidences,
for the holidays already rioted in his spirit, and his tongue was loosed
over their coming rites.
“We’ve soured on scenery,” he finished, in
his drastic idiom. “We’re heeled for a big
time.”
“Call on me,” remarked the Governor,
cheerily, “when you’re ready for bromides and
sulphates.”
“I ain’t box-headed no more,” protested Mr.
McLean; “I’ve got maturity, Doc, since I seen
yu’ at the rain-making, and I’m a heap older
than them hospital days when I bust my leg on
yu’. Three or four glasses and quit. That’s my
rule.”
“That your rule, too?” inquired the Governor of Shorty, Chalkeye,
and Dollar Bill. These gentlemen of the saddle were sitting quite
expressionless upon their horses.
 “We ain’t talkin’, we’re waitin’,” observed Chalkeye; and the three
cynics smiled amiably.
“Well, Doc, see yu’ again,” said Mr. McLean.
He turned to accompany his brother cow-
punchers, but in that particular moment Fate
descended, or came up, from whatever place
she dwells in, and entered the body of the
unsuspecting Governor.
“What’s your hurry?” said Fate, speaking in
the official’s hearty manner. “Come along with
me.”
“Can’t do it. Where’re yu’ goin’?”
“Christmasing,” replied Fate.
“Well, I’ve got to feed my horse.
Christmasing, yu’ say?”
“Yes; I’m buying toys.”
“Toys! You? What for?”
“Oh, some kids.”
“Yourn?” screeched Lin, precipitately.
His Excellency the jovial Governor opened
his teeth in pleasure at this, for he was a
bachelor, and there were fifteen upon his list,
which he held up for the edification of the
hasty McLean. “Not mine, I’m happy to say.
My friends keep marrying and settling, and
their kids call me uncle, and climb around and
bother, and I forget their names, and think it’s
a girl, and the mother gets mad. Why, if I
didn’t remember these little folks at Christmas
they’d be wondering—not the kids, they just
break your toys and don’t notice; but the
mother would wonder—‘What’s the matter with Dr. Barker? Has
Governor Barker gone back on us?’—that’s where the strain comes!”
he broke off, facing Mr. McLean with another spacious laugh.
But the cow-puncher had ceased to smile, and now, while Barker
ran on exuberantly McLean’s wide-open eyes rested upon him,
singular and intent, and in their hazel depths
the last gleam of jocularity went out.
“That’s where the strain comes, you see.
Two sets of acquaintances—grateful patients
and loyal voters—and I’ve got to keep solid
with both outfits, especially the wives and
mothers. They’re the people. So it’s drums,
and dolls, and sheep on wheels, and games,
and monkeys on a stick, and the saleslady
shows you a mechanical bear, and it costs too
much, and you forget whether the Judge’s
second girl is Nellie or Susie, and—well, I’m
just in for my annual circus this afternoon! You’re in luck. Christmas
don’t trouble a chap fixed like you.”
Lin McLean prolonged the sentence like a distant echo.
“A chap fixed like you!” The cow-puncher
said it slowly to himself. “No, sure.” He
seemed to be watching Shorty, and Chalkeye,
and Dollar Bill going down the road. “That’s a
new idea—Christmas,” he murmured, for it
was one of his oldest, and he was recalling the
Christmas when he wore his first long
trousers.
“Comes once a year pretty regular,”
remarked the prosperous Governor. “Seems
often when you pay the bill.”
“I haven’t made a Christmas gift,” pursued
the cow-puncher, dreamily, “not for—for—Lord! it’s a hundred years,
I guess. I don’t know anybody that has any right to look for such a
thing from me.” This was indeed a new idea, and it did not stop the
chill that was spreading in his heart.
“Gee whiz!” said Barker, briskly, “there goes twelve o’clock. I’ve got
to make a start. Sorry you can’t come and help me. Good-bye!”
His Excellency left the rider sitting motionless, and forgot him at
once in his own preoccupation. He hastened upon his journey to the
shops with the list, not in his pocket, but held firmly, like a plank in
the imminence of shipwreck. The Nellies and Susies pervaded his
mind, and he struggled with the presentiment
that in a day or two he would recall some
omitted and wretchedly important child.
Quick hoof-beats made him look up, and Mr.
McLean passed like a wind. The Governor
absently watched him go, and saw the pony
hunch and stiffen in the check of his speed
when Lin overtook his companions. Down
there in the distance they took a side street,
and Barker rejoicingly remembered one more
name and wrote it as he walked. In a few
minutes he had come to the shops, and met
face to face with Mr. McLean.
“The boys are seein’ after my horse,” Lin
rapidly began, “and I’ve got to meet ’em sharp
at one. We’re twelve weeks shy on a square
meal, yu’ see, and this first has been a date
from ’way back. I’d like to—” Here Mr.
McLean cleared his throat, and his speech
went less smoothly. “Doc, I’d like just for a
while to watch yu’ gettin’—them monkeys, yu’
know.”
The Governor
expressed his agreeable
surprise at this change
of mind, and was glad of McLean’s company
and judgment during the impending
selections. A picture of a cow-puncher and
himself discussing a couple of dolls rose
nimbly in Barker’s mental eye, and it was with
an imperfect honesty that he said, “You’ll help
me a heap.”
And Lin, quite sincere, replied, “Thank yu’.”
So together these two went Christmasing in
the throng. Wyoming’s Chief Executive knocked elbows with the
spurred and jingling waif, one man as good as another in that raw,
hopeful, full-blooded cattle era which now the sobered West
remembers as the days of its fond youth. For one man has been as
good as another in three places—Paradise
before the Fall; the Rocky Mountains before
the wire fence; and the Declaration of
Independence. And then this Governor,
besides being young, almost as young as Lin
McLean or the Chief-Justice (who lately had
celebrated his thirty-second birthday), had in
his doctoring days at Drybone known the cow-
puncher with that familiarity which lasts a
lifetime without breeding contempt;
accordingly, he now laid a hand on Lin’s tall
shoulder and drew him among the petticoats
and toys.
 II
Lin’s Money is Dumb

Christmas filled the

windows and
Christmas stirred in
mankind. Cheyenne,
not over-zealous in
doctrine or litanies, and
with the opinion that a
world in the hand is
worth two in the bush,
nevertheless was
flocking together,
neighbor to think of neighbor, and every one
to remember the children; a sacred assembly, after all, gathered to
rehearse unwittingly the articles of its belief, the Creed and Doctrine
of the Child. Lin saw them hurry and smile among the paper fairies;
they questioned and hesitated, crowded and made decisions, failed
utterly to find the right thing, forgot and hastened back, suffered all
the various desperations of the eleventh hour, and turned homeward,
dropping their parcels with that undimmed good-will that once a
year makes gracious the universal human face. This brotherhood
swam and beamed before the cow-puncher’s brooding eyes, and in
his ears the greeting of the season sang. Children escaped from their
mothers and ran chirping behind the counters to touch and meddle
in places forbidden. Friends dashed against each other with rabbits
and magic lanterns, greeted in haste, and were gone, amid the sound
of musical boxes.
Through this tinkle and bleating of little machinery the murmur of
the human heart drifted in and out of McLean’s hearing; fragments
of home talk, tendernesses, economies,
intimate first names, and dinner hours; and
whether it was joy or sadness, it was in
common; the world seemed knit in a single
skein of home ties. Two or three came by
whose purses must have been slender, and
whose purchases were humble and chosen
after much nice adjustment; and when one
plain man dropped a word about both ends
meeting, and the woman with him laid a hand
on his arm, saying that his children must not
feel this year was different, Lin made a step
towards them. There were hours and spots where he could readily
have descended upon them at that, played the rôle of clinking
affluence, waved thanks aside with competent blasphemy, and,
tossing off some infamous whiskey, cantered away in the full, self-
conscious strut of the frontier. But here was not the moment; the
abashed cow-puncher could make no such parade in this place. The
people brushed by him back and forth, busy upon their errands, and
aware of him scarcely more than if he had been a spirit looking on
from the helpless dead; and so, while these weaving needs and
kindnesses of man were within arm’s touch of him, he was locked
outside with his impulses. Barker had, in the natural press of
customers, long parted from him, to become immersed in choosing
and rejecting; and now, with a fair part of his mission accomplished,
he was ready to go on to the next place, and turned to beckon
McLean. He found him obliterated in a corner beside a life-sized
image of Santa Claus, standing as still as the frosty saint.
“He looks livelier than you do,” said the hearty Governor. “’Fraid
it’s been slow waiting.”
“No,” replied the cow-puncher, thoughtfully. “No, I guess not.”
This uncertainty was expressed with such gentleness that Barker
roared. “You never did lie to me,” he said, “long as I’ve known you.
Well, never mind. I’ve got some real advice to ask you now.”
At this Mr. McLean’s face grew more alert. “Say, Doc,” said he,
“what do yu’ want for Christmas that nobody’s likely to give yu’?”
“A big practice—big enough to interfere with my politics.”
 “What else? Things
and truck, I mean.”
“Oh—nothing I’ll get.
People don’t give things
much to fellows like
me.”
“Don’t they? Don’t
they?”
“Why, you and Santa
Claus weren’t putting
up any scheme on my
stocking?”
“Well—”
“I believe you’re in earnest!” cried his
Excellency. “That’s simply rich!” Here was a
thing to relish! The Frontier comes to town
“heeled for a big time,” finds that presents are
all the rage, and must immediately give
somebody something. Oh, childlike,
miscellaneous Frontier! So thought the good-
hearted Governor; and it seems a venial
misconception. “My dear fellow,” he added,
meaning as well as possible, “I don’t want you
to spend your money on me.”
“I’ve got plenty all right,” said Lin, shortly.
“Plenty’s not the point. I’ll take as many
drinks as you please with you. You didn’t
expect anything from me?”
“That ain’t—that don’t—”
“There! Of course you didn’t. Then, what
are you getting proud about? Here’s our
shop.” They stepped in from the street to new
crowds and counters. “Now,” pursued the
Governor, “this is for a very particular friend
of mine. Here they are. Now, which of those
do you like best?”
 They were sets of Tennyson in cases holding
little volumes equal in number, but the
binding various, and Mr. McLean reached his
decision after one look. “That,” said he, and
laid a large, muscular hand upon the
Laureate. The young lady behind the counter
spoke out acidly, and Lin pulled the abject
hand away. His taste, however, happened to
be sound, or, at least, it was at one with the
Governor’s; but now they learned that there
was a distressing variance in the matter of
price.
The Governor stared at the delicate article
of his choice. “I know that Tennyson is what she—is what’s wanted,”
he muttered; and, feeling himself nudged, looked around and saw
Lin’s extended fist. This gesture he took for a facetious sympathy,
and, dolorously grasping the hand, found himself holding a lump of
bills. Sheer amazement relaxed him, and the cow-puncher’s matted
wealth tumbled on the floor in sight of all people. Barker picked it up
and gave it back. “No, no, no!” he said, mirthful over his own
inclination to be annoyed; “you can’t do that. I’m just as much
obliged, Lin,” he added.
“Just as a loan. Doc—some of it. I’m grass-
bellied with spot-cash.”
A giggle behind the counter disturbed them
both, but the sharp young lady was only
dusting. The Governor at once paid haughtily
for Tennyson’s expensive works, and the cow-
puncher pushed his discountenanced savings
back into his clothes. Making haste to leave
the book department of this shop, they
regained a mutual ease, and the Governor
became waggish over Lin’s concern at being
too rich. He suggested to him the list of
delinquent taxpayers and the latest census
from which to select indigent persons. He had patients, too, whose
inveterate pennilessness he could swear cheerfully to—“since you
want to bolt from your own money,” he remarked.