The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-08-05
From Putnam Magazine for August.
ETHIOPIAN NIGHTS, ENTERTAuy.
MENTS.
lBAYAED TAYlnE |

'i'"' you nave heard OF the great Caliph, la
roun AI-Raschid, who certainly was not ONLY
the wlse>t man of his lav, but the wiScst that
has been known since the DAYS of our proph-
ct. Aohamrncd, whose name be exalted. 1t
rarely happens that a wise and great man
ever hnd> wife. whose wisdom IS any match
tor his own for as the wise men whom Al
lah sends upon the earth are few, so are the
wise women still fewer. But herein was the
Caliph favored of Heaven. Since the lav>
of Balki>. the Queen cf Shcha. whom even
The Prophet Solomon could not help but hon
or. there was no woman equal in virtue or in
wisdom to the >ultana Zuhcvdrh (Zobcclc)
The Caliph never failed to consult her on all
important matters and her prudence and in
tc!ll@cncc were united with his, in the ooy-
crnmcnt OF his great empire. even as the sun
and moon are sometimes seen shining in the
heavens at the same time.
But do not imagine that IIaroun Al RaschiG
and the Snltana ZubcvIch were destitute of
faults. None except the Prophets of God
may there names hc cXto!!cd for ever =
were ever entirely Just. or wise. prudent
The CaliIh was subject to fits of jealousy and
mI>tru>t. which Frequently led him to commi,
acts that obliged him afterwards, to eat Of the
bitter fruits OF repentance: and As for Zuhcv-
dch. with all her wisdom. she had >llar,
tongue i'll her hcadand was often so little dis
erect As TO say things wlirh brought upon
her the di>plca>urc Of the Commander of the
Faithful
1t chanced that once upon time. they
were both >,atc,, in the window of the Ln,.,u
which overlooked one of the streets Of B:rh-
dad. The Caiph was IN an ill-hunor. tor a
beautiful Georgian slave whom his vizicr had
recently brought him. had disappeared from
the harcm. and he saw in this the work Of
Zutcydch, who was always Jealous Of any RI
val to her beauty. Now. as they were sit
ting there. looking down into the street. a
poor woOd-cuttcr came along. with a bundle
of sticks upon his head. His lolv was lean
with poverty. and his only clothing was a tat
tered cloth, bound around his waist. Bnt
the most wonderful thing was that in passing
through the wood where he had collected hi,
load, a serpent had seized him bv the heel.
but his feet We're 50 han drncd hv to! that
they rc>emLlcd the hoo.> of camel: and he
neither tc!t the teeth of the serpent. nor
knew that he was still dragging il after him
as he walked The Ca!iph marvcicd when
he bcheld this but Zuhcvdch cxclaimcd.-
See. q Commander of the Fai.htul. there
is the mans wife :" "What :" exclaimed
llaroun, with sudden wrath: rs the wife.
then a >crpcn; to the man. which S,inc> HIM
none The ',>> because he does not feel it =
Thou SERPENT. lccau>c thou hast stunr me.
and bccau.c thou hast mace sport of the hon
est poverty Of that poor creature. thou shalt
take the svrrcn,> place" Zuhcvlch an
swcrcd not a word. for She knew that to speak
would but increase the Caliph's anger. la
roam cIarrcd his hand thrice. and presently
Mcsronr, his chief eunucl, appeared. Here
McsrOur, said he take this woman with
thee, follow yondcr wood-cutter. and present
her to him as his wife, whom the Calph hath
ordered him to accept
Mesrour laid his hands upon his breast and
bowed his head. in token of obedience. He
then beckoncd to Zulc,dch, who rose, cov-
cred herself with a veil and ferdicc, such
as is worn by the wives of the poor, and fol-
lowed him. When they had oycrtakcn the
wood-cutter. Mc>rour delivered to him the
message OF the Caliph, and presented to him
the ve!ed Iubeydch. There is no God but
Tod SAID the poor man but how can
support u wtc-I, who can scarcely live by
my own labor> -: "Do>t thou dare to DISC
hey the Commander of the Faithful :" cried
Mc>rour i'll such a savage tone. that the man
trcmb!cd from head to foot but Zubcv,lch.
speaking for the first time. sall, Take m,.
with thee, . man since it is the Caliph's
will. | will serve thee faithfully, and per
hap> the burden OF thy poverty may he light
encd through me" The man thcreupon
obcycd. and they proceeded together to his
house, which was III a remote part of the city.
There were but two miserable rooms. with a
root, which was beginning to fall in, from de
cay. The wood cutter. having thrown down
his bundle, went out to the bazaar. purchased
some rice and a little salt, and brought Jar
OF water from the fountain. This was all he
could afford, and Zubeydeh, who had kindled
IRE IN the mean time cooked it and placed
1t before him. But when he would have had
her raise her veil, and sit down 10 eat with
HIM, she refused. saying. IL have promised
that shall not increase the burden of tbv
poverty. Promise ne, in return. that thou
wilt never seek TO look upon nv face. nor to
enter that room which have chosen Tor NV
apartment. am not without learning. O
man and it,hou wilt respect my wishes, it
shall be well for thee"
The wooI-cutter, who was not naturally de- .
fc'ent in intelligence, perceived from the
words OF Zubeydch, that she was superior /
person; and Judging that he could not do
better than TO follow her counsel, promised
at once al, that she desired. She then de-
clared, that as she intended to take CHARGE
of his h0usehnld be must nira 10 Lo. -