Kalaidji Avram of Balata

Balata, situated on the Golden Horn, is mostly inhabited by Jews of

the poorer classes, who make their livelihood as tinsmiths, tinkers,

and hawkers.

Here, in the early days when the Janissaries flourished, there lived a

certain tinsmith called Kalaidji Avram. Having rather an extensive

business, his neighbors, especially those who lived nearest, were

always complaining of the annoying smoke and disagreeable odor of

ammonia which he used in tinning his pots and pans.

Opposite Avram's place the village guard-house was situated, and the

chief, a Janissary, often had disputes with Avram about the smoke.

Avram would invariably reply: "I have my children to feed and I must

work; and without smoke I cannot earn their daily bread."

The Janissary, much annoyed, cultivated a dislike for Avram and a

thirst for revenge.

It happened that a Jew one day came to the Janissary and said to him:

"Do you want to make a fortune? if so, you have the means of doing

this, provided you will agree to halve with me whatever is made."

The Janissary, on being assured that he had but to say a word or two

to a person he would designate and the money would be forthcoming,

accepted the conditions. The Jew then said: "All you have to do is to

go up to a Jewish funeral procession that will pass by here to-morrow

on its way to the necropolis outside the city, and order it to stop.

It is against the religion of the Jews for such a thing to happen, and

the Chacham (rabbi) will offer you first ten, then twenty, and finally

one hundred and ten thousand piasters to allow the funeral to proceed.

The half will be for you to compensate you for your trouble and the

other fifty-five thousand piasters for me."

This, as the Jew had told him, seemed very simple to the Janissary.

The next day, true enough, he beheld a funeral, and immediately went

out and ordered it to stop. The Chacham protested, offering first

small bribes, then larger and larger, till ultimately he promised to

bring to the worthy captain one hundred and ten thousand piasters for

allowing the funeral to proceed.

That evening, as agreed, the Chacham came and handed the money to the

captain of the Janissaries. Then taking another bag containing a

second one hundred and ten thousand piasters, he said: "If you will

tell me who informed you that we would pay so much money rather than

have a funeral stopped, you can have this further sum."

The Janissary immediately bethought him of Avram, the tinsmith, and

accused him as his informant, and the Chacham, satisfied, paid the sum

and departed.

Avram disappeared nobody knew where. The Chacham said that death had

taken him for his own as a punishment for stopping him while on a

journey.

The accomplice of the Janissary came a few days later for his share of

the money. The Janissary handed him the fifty-five thousand piasters,

and at the same time said: "Of these fifty-five thousand piasters,

thirty thousand must be given to the widow and children of Avram, and

I advise you to give it willingly, for Avram has taken your place."