Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1857-06-24
WHOLE NO. 294.

at the hne appearance OF the sultan, was
very contented to be in possession of such a
husband; even so was he glad to own such
beautiful wife.
He lived seven years with his wife, and
had seven daughters and seven sons with her.
But as they both lived expensively, and only
thought of eating well, and enjoying pleas
ures, it finally happened that the whole for
tune of the wife was wasted. They were
obliged to dismiss the attendants and slaves,
and sell the furniture, one article after anoth-
er in order to prolong their lives.
When the sultan's wife found herself in
misery, she said-'a long as / have had
money, you was not saving; now it is with
you to reflect of ways and means, to sustain
your little family"
These words grieved the sultan. He went
to the old blacksmith in order to ask advice.
80, my father" said he to him, "you behold
me now more distressed than when entered
the city. l have now a wife and fourteen
children, and possess nothing to keep Them"
ooh youth" replied the old man, don't
you understand a handicraft 2"
"No," retorted the sultan.
The smith said, "go directly, and get
carrying-girth, and 60 to the place where
porters congregate."
The sultan did so. He had hardly been
there, when a man came who asked him
"wil you carry load?"
For this reason am here" replied the
sultan, and the man charged his shoulders
with a heavy sack. Only with the greatest
exertion the sultan succeeded to carry it,
while the cord made his shoulders sore. He
then received his wages which consisted in an
Aktscha,* and he brought it home. When
his wife saw, that it was but an Aktscha, she
told him that, if he would not get ten times
as much, every day, his whole family would
soon have to starve. On the following morn
ing, the sultan went, sadly grieved, to the
place where the porters assemble on the shore
of the ocean. Mindful of the locality, he re-
fected upon the situation to which he had so
Unexpectedly came by the bad art of the
sheik; he called back into memory this mis-
chievous and strange occurrence, and could
not help but weep about it. But as he had
yet to perform his ablution, before he prayed,
he submerged deeply into water; but how
great was his astonishment when he withdrew
his head, to find himself in the palace in the
midst of the tub, in the presence of all his
officers.
"Oh cruel sheikw he exclaimed whenahe
espied Schahabeddin in the same position,
in which he had left him, "do you not fear
that God will punish you, to have treated
your master and sultan thus
"Ruler" said the shek, "what is the
reason of the wrath of your highness against
me? Just now you have immersed your
head into this vessel, and forthwith with
drawn it again; if you do not believe me,
ask your officers who are witnesses to it"
"Yes, lord" exclaimed unanimously the
officers. the sheik speaks the truth"
"You are imposters" cried the sultan,
eign country by the power of his magic. 1
have got married there, and have seven sons
and seven daughters. | do not complain,
however, so much of that, but that have
been porter"
"Well then, my lord" responded the
sheik, "since you will not believe my words
my deeds shall convince you." With these
words he undressed himself, girded cloth
around his lons, went into the tub, and i'm
mersed his head under the water; while the
Sultan still exasperated against him, seized
his sword, in order to cut the head of the
learned man off, as soon as he should with
draw it from the water. But the sheik per-
ceiving the design of the sultan, by means of
the science, which is called Mekaschefa,t in
stantly disappeared by the art to make him
self invisible, and displaced himself to the
city of Damascus. From there he wrote
letter to the ruler of Egypt, in which he said,
"Oh sultan know that both, you and /, are
but poor servants of the Great God. While
you immersed your head, and withdrew it
Immediately, you made voyage Of seven
years, married wife, and had seven sons and
seven daughters, and endured many suffer
ings, and yetyou will not believe that Mo-
hammed, our great prophet, had found his
bed still warm, and the pitcher not yet emptya
Perceive that to Him who created heaven
and earth by the single words: "It Be-"
nothing is impossible.
After the sultan read this letter, he be-
came faithful.
*A very small Arabian coin.
I It is said that by means of the Mekaschefa,
tt oe1tb