A man had a wife who could not understand his speech. For he had come from Babylon to

Palestine and married his wife in Palestine.

One day he said to her: "Cook lentils for us today."

So she cooked two lentils, for she thought that when he said lentils, he meant two lentils. He

grew very angry.

The next day he said to his wife: "Cook a potful of lentils."

Whereupon she cooked a pot of lentils so full that one could not add a single lentil, whereas all that he meant was that she should cook a potful in the usual way. He grew more angry still.

The third day he said to her: "Bring me two bluzers," which means two pumpkins, and she brought him two candlesticks, for she understood his words to have that meaning.

Then he grew very angry and said to her: "Break the candlesticks on the baba, i.e. the door."

So she took the candlesticks and struck R. Baba ben Bota on the head, for she understood her husband to mean that she should break the candlesticks over R. Baba's head.

Baba ben Bota said to her: "My dear daughter, why do you strike me?"

She replied: "My husband told me to strike Baba on the head with the candlesticks and I have done it."

Baba ben Bota was just then presiding in the courts and administering justice. Then he said: "My daughter, you have done the will of your husband and followed his command, therefore may God grant you two sons who shall be like Baba ben Bota."