text:  Does he hear some agreeable intelligence he exclaims with sparkling eyes and brisk intonation 'Ja so!' If bad news are brought to him he droops his head and after a pause murmurs mournfully 'Ja so!' The communication of an important affair is received with a thoughtful 'Ja so!' a joke elicits a humorous one; an attempt to banter or deceive him is met by a sarcastic repetition of the same mysterious words