The Iowa patriot. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1839-1839, 1839-07-04
THE THREE SHARPERS 4,
ARABIAN TALE

~ " 90 ihooA'0u vi q mule an
the goat following him with bell bn /,
to his neck. Three young bucks obss aas
ing him, one of them proposed an eS..
bet that he would take the goat w;,boa
the countryman's knowledge, notw;s
standing the tinkling of the bell. ..Dons i
said the second, "and at the same time !
will lay you wager that | will s,s,i
| from the fellow the mule he rides uno ma,
without exciting his Suspicion .T Fs
must be difficult task indeed, observed ,
third; :" but if you will double the STAKES
I will engage to take from him all ,bs
clothes upon his back, and carry them on
without his trying to hinder me ~
These proposals being mutually agreed
to, the first commenced his task, which
was to steal the goat. Having deyterap,.
ly loosened the fastening to the bell. h.
slipt it from the goats neck, tied it to The
mules tail, and made off with the po,,
undiscovered. The peasant, hearing the
tinkling of the bell, never, doubted but
that the goat followed him. However
happening to look behind him some time
after, he was strangely surprised at mis-.
ing the little animal, which he was to sell
at market. He now made inquiry Of
every passenger, in hopes of hearing Of
his strayed goat; at last, the second
sharper accosted him, and told him he
had just seen a man make down the next
lane precipitately, dragging along goat
by the hind legs. The peasant, thinking
he could run faster than his old mule
could carry him, instantly dismounaa
and requested the young fellow to hold
his mule, while he set off full speed ii
pursuit of the thief. After exhaustv
himself in running without getting sight
of the man or the goat, he returned quite
spent, ard almost breathless, to thank lie
stranger for taking care of his mule.
when, to add to his misfortune, behtn,
his mule and keeper were vanished.
The two successful rogues had gained
secure retreat, and were triumphi!
over their associate, while he waited ft
the countryman at the side Of a we'll nj
part of the road he knew he must piss.
Here he sent forth his lamentable cries,
and made such bitter wailngs that The
peasant was touched with commiseraiol
as he approached him, and reAecting Oh
his own misfortunes, found himself dis
posed to listen to the Affections Of Others
AS he appeared to be overwhelmed with
grief, he thus addressed him: how tal
you take on SO piteously /? surely YOU
mlsfortunes are not SO great as mine;
have Just lost two animals, the value o
which is mere than one half of my SUB
stance; my mule and my goat InigatI
time have made my fortune. A incl los
truly, said the man at the well, to be CON-
pared with mine! you have not, like ME, |
let fall into this well, casket of diamOna
delivered into my hands, and entrusted
to my care and discretion, to be carried
to the Caliph of Bagdad; no doubt sha
be hanged for my negligence, which sll
be called an excuse for having clandes
timely sold them. Why don't you dire
to the bottom of the well and fetch Up
your treasure, said the peasant; ! know
it is not deep. Alas, replied the sharpe,
! am quite awkward at diving, and ~
rather run The risk of being hanged, !haH
meeting inevitable death by drowning
but if any one who knows the well bette
than me, would undertake the kind Office
upon recovering the jewels, would gN
him ten pieces of gold.
The unwary dupe poured out his plep
CALCULATIONS in gratitude to Mahonet ~
having thrown in his way the means
repairing the loss of his mule and D.
goat. Promise me, said he, in an ecsf
cy, the ten pieces, and | will reco'l
your casket. The sharper agreed y
the countryman stripped himself y
jumped with such alacrity into the w.
that the sharper saw he had no tune
lose, and Immediately took to MS n'sI
with the clothes. The poor peasan. 70
all round the bottom of the well 'oS Z,
purpose, and then raising himself % u
brink to take breath, and recover slrels Z,
for a second attempt, he found tha' y
stranger had decamped with his apPa,. 1
Grown wise too late by woful expe,rlen NH
he returned home by many q lonely XIII Nj
to conceal his shame and relating III. MI
tale to his afectionate wife, the only \.
ISOLATION he received from her was Il h
from the king upon the throne y easN
shepherd on the plains, two thirds :. III
human race owed the greatest par MI
the vexations Of life to impruden' i
fdences.. : The next day he MOI g, yI IYa
received back beth his animals anu sFE
clothes, but in one Of the pocksS Nj
found the full sum he so much co''s II
to wit: ten pieces Of gold. H
The Court Of Inquiry in relaaOs HI
Com. Elliot, which had been slIua ,sll
some time at the Navy Yard, rnu, s,S|
phia, adjourned on the 18th at the lnsD H
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