Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-08-09
THE suLrAN.s yIslr.

~ The just King, Kisra Anoonshirwan, rode
forth one day to the chase, and separated him.
self from his troops, pursuing gazelle and
as he proceeded after it, he saw track OF
cultivated land nigh unto him. He was ex-
ceedingly thirsty SO he repaired thither, and,
going to the door of a house of family, he
asked for some water to drink; whereupon
there came forth to him damsel, who looked
at him, and then returned to the house, and
pressed for him single sugar-cahe, mixed its
juices with water, poured it into cup, and
put into it some sweet-scented substance re-
sembling dust. Then she gave it to Anoo-
shirwin, who looked into the cup, and saw in
it something like dust. He therefore drank
it slowly, until he came to the end, when he
said to the damscl, Oh, damscl, excellent was
the water, and how sweet had it been but for
those particles swimming upon the surface !;
fer they rendered it turbidr The damsel re-
piled, oh, guest, l purposely threw into it
those particles which rendered it turbid.
And why did'st thou that! e said the King.
She answered, Because | saw thee to be vio-
lently thirsty, and feared that thou wouldst
drink it at single draught. and it would have
been injurious to thee; and had there not been
in it those particles upon the surface, thou
wouldst have drunk itup quickly at once, and
thy doing SO would have been hurtful to thee
So the just King, Anooshlrwan, wondered at
her words and her intelligence. knowing that
what she had said had proceeded from intell-
gence and acuteness and excellence of under
standing; and he said to her, From how
many canes did'st thou press that juceF She
answered, From one cane And Anooshir-
win wondered and demanded the register OF
the taxes that arose from the village there ;
and he saw that its taxes were little; where
fore he purposed in his mind when he should
return to his seat of government, to increase
those taxed saying Wherefore should the
taxes of village from single sugar-cane OF
which this juice proceedeth beso little!
"Thcn he departed from the village to the
chase ; and at the close of the day he returned
to it, and passing along by the door again, he
asked second time for water to drink upon
which that same damsel came forth to him ;
and, seeing and knowing him, she returned to
bring him the water But she was long alb
sent from him. So Auooshirwin FASTENED her,
and said, Wherefore hast thou been tardy 2
She answered, Because there proceeded not
from one cane as much as thou wantest there.
fore pressed three canes; and there came
not from them as much as before came from
one cane The King said, What is the
cause of that?' And she answered, Tho
cause Of it is, that the purpose of the Sultan
hath become changed He therefore asked
her, Whence learnedst thou this?' She
answered, We have heard from the wise, that
when the purpose of the Sultan becomett
changed against people, their prosperity
ceaseth, and their blessings are diminished.
And Anooshirwan laughed, and dismissed
from his mind that which he had purposed
against the peoi lie; and forthwith he married
that daInsel, being pleased with the excess o
her intelligence and acuteness, and the excel
ence Of her Speech"