Ballad: Pasha Bailey Ben

In “Pasha Bailey Ben,” a ballad within *The Bab Ballads*, we encounter the dignified yet stout Pasha Bailey Ben, a figure of pride with ten tails and three wives. His life, filled with peculiar presents from pilgrims, showcases the diverse and odd forms of adoration he receives, ranging from onions to cold boiled beef and even telescopes. These varied gifts, seemingly incongruent – like white kid gloves, candlesticks, and potted quails – emphasize the pasha’s broad albeit curious influence.

Central to the narrative is Bailey Ben’s confidant, a Mongolian dog named Simple James, whose countenance reveals a notorious past. Despite his known misdeeds, James holds a position of trust, a choice that puzzles the narrator and adds an element of mystery and darkness to the pasha’s otherwise comic surrounding.

The ballad takes care to introduce another peculiar character, Matthew Wycombe Coo, the pasha’s clerk. Coo, notable for his exceptional yodeling and dancing skills, brings joy to the lives of the pasha’s wives, lightening the palace’s atmosphere with his talents and kindness.

Unexpectedly, a Red Indian visits Pasha Bailey Ben, an occurrence that astonishes the pasha due to its rarity in Turkey. The visitor’s appearance, adorned with mocassins and Catawampous seeds, and his proclamations about the Red Man’s agility and life, significantly surprise Bailey Ben, highlighting the theme of cultural encounter and the exchange of wonder between the East and the West.

“Pasha Bailey Ben” weaves a tale of contrast and peculiar companionship through the characters of Bailey Ben, Simple James, and Matthew Coo, embellished with the surprising visit of a Red Indian. The narrative, steeped in humor and the unexpected, underlines the diversity of life and interaction, capturing the reader’s imagination with its vivid and whimsical portrayal of a world where surprise and diversity reign, all while questioning the nature of friendship and loyalty in the face of oddities and cultural disparities.