Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1858-12-25
THE FORTUNES OF ABDALLAH
APERSIAN STORY.

ADdallah was prosperous barber
of Shiraz. He married woman of
great beauty, but she was excessively
vain, so that his whole substance was
consumed in providing her with dres-
SEES, trinkets, and the luxuries of the
harem.
Above all other women, the wife of
Hassan, the kings astrologer, was en-
We'd by the wife of Adallah, the un-
ostentatious barber; for this lady af.
fected great grandeur, and could at:
ford it on account of the large salary
and handsome presents bestowed upon
her husband.
One day the disconnected beauty an
nounced to Abdallah that she would
no longer continue to live with him UNI
less he gave up the miserable business
of barber and adopted thai of astrolo-
ger. In vain did he represent to her
that trimming boards was his habit,
while of astrological predictions he
knew nothing; she insisted, and the
unfortunate man, infatuated by his af.
lection, resolved to obey.
So, observing the eccentric practices
of the astrologers, he took brass ba-
sin and pestle of steel into the bazaar
and shifting his basin cried aloud that
he would calculate nativities, predict
the events of the future, detect thieves
and recover lost property. His neigh
bors were astonished, and all said,
" Abdallah. the barber. is certainly
gone mad ~
But it CHANGED that a certain lady re-
turning from the bath, walked through
the bazaar with her veil torn; she ap.
(peared in great distress, and upon
hearing the cry Of Abdallah, sent one
Of her slaves to him with this message:
'.lf you are an impostor my husband
shall cause you to be bastinadoed; II
you are really an astrologer, inform me
where l shall find a necklace of pearls
l have lost to-day" Poor Abdallah,
bewildered gazed upon the lady, and
gaining time to invent an answer, said:
"She can find the pearls when they are
near for the veil is torn - These
words were reported to her by the
slave, and she uttered a cry of Joy
+" Admirable prophet !" she exclaimed,
"1placed my pearls for safety in rent
in the veil Of the BATH And she or.
dered Abdallah to be presented with
forty pieces OF gold. Now it should
be known that in the Persian baths
there are screens, the name of which
is the same as the native word fol
''veil.'' So Abdallah by lucky &C.
cident OF speech, had not only saved
himself from the bastinado, but be
gained forty pieces IF gold.
At length. another lady, the wife OF
the kings treasurer, made her appear.
ance, and just at that moment mes.
senger from the treasurer came ND to
Abdallah, in the bazaar, and spoke to
him. The lady stood close by and
listened. "Abdallah,'' said the slave
"my master has lost the kings grea,
ruby; if thou hast the wisdom Of the
stars thou can'st find it; if not thou
art a prctendcr and will surely cause
thee to be bastinadoed." This time
the unfortunate barber was at his wits
end. 30, woman! he exclaimed,
!" thou art the author of all this.'' He
meant his own wife, but the wife Of the
treasurer thought it referred to her.
Guilt is always pale the poet says.
She herself had stolen the kings ruby,
and believed that the astrologcr was
aware Of her crime. So when the
messenger had departed, leaving the