Demoine courier., 1855-08-30
AN ARAB TALE.

conversation could not fail to turn upon
the war and the present condition Of the
Crimea campaign. He was pretty well
acquainted win the Roebuck Committee
and all the incidents Of the expeditions;
though he had never read the papers he
was aware Of the crisis Of HE Turkish
Empire, and of all the dangers OF its
present trahsi,ory state; nor did he seem
10 De blinded as regards the position Of
The Allies pressed him to tell me
openly his opinions about recen. events,
which he did as follows:
ALLOW me 10 tell you All old tale which
| read IN our books, and Of which ] am
always reminded whenever | think Of
the allied army IN the Crimea. . You
know he continued, that Allah gave
powers ,he grea, King aud Prophat
Suleimon (Solomon) over all living crea.
lures; that he taugh. him TO understand
the birds of the air, aud Of the animals
creeping on the earth: One day Sulei.
man cav splendid rainbow floating in
the skies, and the fancy took him 10 see
The wonder Of the Allah closely, and 10
dwell on The arch Q. Tho rainbow. He
therefore summoned the birds OF the air
and said 10 them, Cary me TO the rain.
bow that ! may dwell on it, And The
birds alighled upon The earth and bent
their wings together, so as to foi m a boat,
and Suleiman sat upon their wings. aud
they rose and flew with the utmost ra
pldlty, but still il took three weeks be
fore they reached The rainbow When
Suleiman had rested himself on the bril-
liant rays he said; Il desire to know
which is the poin, on oar,h over which |
am now seated. Which of oil the birds
has the ~cleares, sight to look down and
tell me where We IRE! And the vul,ure
Ak Baba, lhasis TO say the white father,
said: Sultan my sight reaches furtiies'?
Then look down, said The King, .iell
me where we are, and wha, also thou
%sees'.' Ak-3aba looked down and spake:
I'VE are soaring just above Baby lon.
close to The principal gate Of the town: |
see a field III which the harvesters have
left five grains of wheat, and two spar.
rows are lighting for The FIVE grains.-
And Suleiman praised Allah that he had
created Ihe yullure and endowed him
with such farsighledress. And the Sui
tan remained 4 few weeks on the rain.
bow, and one day he said; ~.lcesire TO know
what has happened OF earth since | left
ia' Which is the bird with The swi.,est
flight sha, May go down and look about
And The " hlie Father care again and
spake. i am The swiilest Of all BIRDS
And how much time will il require for
thee 10 go down aud return agaiu?' asked
Suleiman. Twenty four hours. SULTAN
was The answer, ten TO fy down and ten
10 return. and four to look about Go,
then. in Inc the name of Allah said The
Sultan. and Ak Bahia went
But iwen'y four hours passed and he
was not yei back. Aud The third Gay
dawned; Sulelmsn shnok his head, and
on The fourth he grew angry and said.
Al Bahia is a b~raggarl.' Al last. on
the fifth Jay. The Wine Father returned,
but how did he look! Ills wings were
pulled 10 pieces, his body bleeding. his
claws blunteG. What is The matter with
thee!' asked Su!eiInan; and why dldst
lhodcome tour day later than thou prom
ised! On, sultan Ak Baba complain.
ed, i mel with an accident, When, af.
ter my fight of tel hours, | arrived on
earth. tell hungry and looked abou,
fef food, IN order 10 strengthen myself
for The remainder Of my enterprises; and
saw a garden with plentiful frut ir il,
and when | came into i, a large iron
trap caught me and broke my feathers
and clipped my claws. Ii was in vain
10 struggle agaiEs, The iron; | could no,
free myself. Al lac, tho gardner came
and sxul,ed when he saw me caught, and
took me on, Of the trap, and vhen | bea,
him with my wings h,s la5orers assisted
him. and they carried me into The house
and shut me up in a close room. There
! sat n prisoner; the door was fastened
The wall was thick. the window barred.
Atlas. discovered the flues of The chin,
nty. and forced my way through il, and
come now TO toll you my misforlune.-
| could but elowly reach your lofty seat,
soaring with wounded wings"
"Thus apake Ak Bahia. The v~uIture,
and Snleiman gravely and ,houghlfully
shook his head, and said, Mash Allah,-
God is great! Miracles every wkere!-
Miracles a, every moment! White
Father. from here. a. three weeks dis
lance from the earth. thou hast seen the
town of Babylon and lie gate. ana close
TO i. the field. and on The field The two
liille sparrows. and by them the five
grains OF wheatabout which they quar-
relied, and thou hast not seen the large
iron trap in the garden when thou wer,
close by! indeed. the farsightedness of
him who is coomed TO mishap is turned
into bIindness!'
Here Hyder Ali stopped. and shook
his head slowly and ,~houghliu!ly in The
same way as Sulelman NAV have done.
"Well, said l. .friiend Hyder All, how
am to connect your excellent tale with
the present war.
"You are a Frank said he, "and YOU
do not zee il. ] will explain il 10 you.
The French and English are used to
discover the mos, remote stars and TO de.
termine their orbits. they have counted
1 q