The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-03-03
'G5Be:S5lailp Journal.
THE TREASURE oF RAMPsINlTUs.

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81 TIE TREASURE OF RAAzPsIN1TUS.
4 : An iclein, the eceMberhumberef Blacl,
wood contains the following version of.the oE,
Ibut excellent story of Henodetus, about tn
EtreasQre Of the Egyptian King Ra4npsinitus:
"}ampsinitps had mere money than he knew
EEhat to do with, so he ordered stone build
ling to be made one of the walls of which wa.
Ijoined to an outer wall. Of his own dwelling
4 y ishing to make all safe heor6ered the build
ling to be made without an entrance. 50 tha
fthe treasure being built in could never be 90
out again without pulling down the wall Tn,
architect, however, thinking it pity that the
treasure should be Of ne uset to any one, and
tthatrthe- king would scarcely perceive a Ger
tain omount of subStraction, devised q stone
tin the wall, which was in appearance as fast
| as the rest, but really movable BY sec ret
lspring, oandl thus supplied his necessities from
time to time from the kings board. Ih S
went on for all his life. On his death bed the
fold scoundrel, instead Of repenting, let his two
sons into the secret Of the movable stone, con
lsohfing his conscience with the tlattering unc-
ton that he was thereby securing a livelihood
! or his cmtdren without greatly hurting any
lone. The sons felt themselye in duty bound
I W 14cl p LHGiIIscINGS III acCOfUduCS Win Clelf
Itarher's " !shes. But they were not so f0rtu-
InAte as he was, for one dry the aew king took
ut into his bead to pull down part Of the wall
and have look at his treasure. What was
his astonishnenc when he saw that a good
part Of ii had been spirited away. All the
seals were sa5s, and there was no window, door
Tor chimney. lie thought his father must have
illade annstake as to the original aIniint, SO he
Ip.a5teFed The hole Up again. and opened it some
time a'terward, u second time. The treasure
had suffered a 'flrtheT diminution. He was out
lof his wits what to think Of it. However, he
set mantraps among the coIers, built the place
up again, opened 1t again, and iodRd, nota man
but mans body, with the leg fast in gin,
and the head gone; still there was no sign Of
or exit. $40 --l
Ranpsinitus now thought he had hit on a
device tocatch the thief lie hung up the body
in pubic place, and set guards by it, order
ing them to apprehend any one they might
see making demonstrations ofgrief before it. /
The mother of the dead man was Mortified
at this exposure of the, corpse, and so, after
making some difficulties, her surviving son de-
termned to rescue it. He provided himself
with asses, and loading them with skin of
wine each, drove them on till he came by his
brothers corpse, and those who were watching
it. Then he managed to unfasten two or
three OF them, and the wine ran out, but in
such q manner that it seemed accidental
This part of the story shows Of how old orr
gin was the image breaking dodge, said to be
still sometimes practised in the streets of Lon
don. Then he began beating his head, and
curs:ng his stars, as not knowing which ass
was losing most wine, and being constantly in
a difficulty which way to the rescue The
orfIz in hirn IL nd niplri -
joke, oil ran to fetch vessels to catch the vast
ing wine, while he pretended to be in a passion
with them, began abusing them, which, under
the circumstances amused them shil more
Having thus got them into high good humor
he ended by appearing to make up, and giving
them one Of the skins to drink, When they
were royalty drunk and all asleep, he stole
away his brothers. carcass; and not contentl
with the completeness of this job, left, all the
guards with their right whiskers shaven off,
The king when he heard of the stealing away
of the corpse, was in greater rage than ever,
but he kept it to himself and was determined
to find out the thief at any price. |
Rampsinitues employed his daughter as the
detective, and she, watching her opportu-
nifty, ex rlctel a confession from the culprit, |
and, Immediately she had heard it, seized him
by the arm. He was prepared for this, and
ran away, leaving false arm in her hands. |
The confession was an answer to the question, |
Whatrwas the wickedest and wisest thing he
had ever done. The wickedest thing he al |
lowed to have been beheadng his brother,
when he was caught in the trap, to preyentre-
cognition, and the wisest thing, making the
kings guard drunk, and carrying off the body. |
This new escape brought the kings rage to a
climax, and it eyaporated in admiration Of the
exceeding cleverness of this prince of artful
dodgers. So he made proclamation, promis
ing free pardon, al kinds of 6vo1s besides,
if the party would disclose himself The thief
trusted the king, rewarded him by giving him
his detective daughter in marriage, consider /
ing him worthy of that honor, as being the !.
most knowing of all men; for that the Egyp |
hans were the shrcwdest of mankind, and he
was the shrewdest of the Eygptians.'