The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-07-12
FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS.
The RsGuish King and the Rosuis!,
Poet.

The RsRuish Hing and the Ro:uish
Poet.
The Arabs and the Eastern nations have
great partiality for witty rogueries. and those
cunning devices by which people cheat one
another. In nv last. told how parrot out
witted her master. and escaped from slavery.
by what NAV be termed an Foreground rail
way. Now. will tell you how king trick
ell several poor poets. anil how completely
one OF them turned the tables upon his mai
esty.
The king. then, wishing to have the name
Of . great literary patron, without putting
himself to any expense in support of it, and
gave out that any poet WHO should repeat an
ode before him-bnt the ode should be orig
inal and not lagiarized-should have, as a
reward. as much gold as would weigh down
the manuscript. Now, this king was very
cunning. and vel. deserved his roval title CT
would inform the cheerful little reader that
the words King and cun,ing. come from the
same old Saxon root. which signifies knowinq.
or one who knous): he was very knowing.
in fact and for his purposes improved his
memory in wonderful manner When the
poets who came before him had recited their
verses slowly, he was always sure to remem-
her nearly every word OF them lie then
would tell those minstrel folk that their DO
etrv was not original that he had heard it
oil before, on some other occasion. and. to
prove this. would pronounce the ole nearly
word for word, to the surprise and terror of
The bar,ls, who would make off. as fast as
possible, unless, indeed. as sometimes han.
prned, the king ordered them gentle an.
plication of the bastinado, for stealth. other
peoples thoughts
One day, the celebrated poet. FL Oak Tvl
brought his ode. AMI read it. When he had
done, the king repeated the whole of it, and
then went on with his lies about it. as in CIV.
cry other case Fl Oak Tvl looked incred
uIous; but the king. having made the Name.
luke who stood near his chair nearly as clev.
sr as himself in tina: business. said that man
had also heard it before and babe him re-
peat (which he did. FL Oak T,l did no,
know what to saw: but when the king order
cd female slave. who Lad been snilar,
prepared. and who had heard the three re-
citals behind curtain. to come in, and speak
the ode once more. he saw there was no ust
in taIkin. about it though he very wei
knew the king was trying it on. IN a bare
faced manner But h. wa. resolved TO ~,
hrs a:;rs'y back in his own coin ard h,
did
One day he came ha.k 70 the city riding
on camel. and wearin. ir4rerv over ons
eve. and otherwise so disguised. a. Bedou
IN. that he could not te r.rornize,i. IT,.
k'ng. when h" saE him. >a'utri him as ar
Arab. and asked what he wanted. Til.
granger made a saaam and answered. h.
came 10 -eci,e an ode h..ore The urea, kha,
of all the pot"n'a,es OF il- word LET u
hear it," said his majesty. wiukiny his CIV,
N the Mameluke-as I'M. h a> 70 ,.v. Evil
YOU Just . We voJr attention 70 NV monn.
"f dnmtounding TIL. man a.<o :" Hut +.
Oak Iyl was ready ior Tim. ana produce,
An Wir made up OF 'le verv hardest and {;
nest words in he l.ngua.e-a Mid of rcr
tormance ie>e'n"in. some parts Of Bale.
"frs,u'," mixed up ~l'h quantity Of line
:sk-n here and there from the ia>t;orail,
magazines. II was altogether. 'he ha-de.
liul .. vic AZ, uit.n ever beard. AID /