Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1858-09-25
BEDOUN RDGUERY.

/ ~ ~ lL ll I
The rognery Of the Bedoui1
Arabs, and tie creduIons belief q
the Egyptian peasantry in magic
are we'll illustrated in the followin!
amusing story
An Egyptian peasant was th,
possessor Of q desirable donkey
shapely and strong, upon .whicI
some Bedouins cast q eovetous eve
and determined to obtain, to accom-
| plish which an Ingenious mode wa:
adopted. Passing in q solitary palu
grove towards sunset, on bis return
from a village fair, the peasant find.
a man lying upon the path with,
ing with pain. Dislnonnting. he
bends over him, and, whilst intent
upon discovering It there be belp
for his calamity, rogue nuuaber two
slips erattily the halter from the
donkey's neck, and fastens 1t round
his own. Rogu number three rides
OFT upon the long cared prize, the
noise of whose retreating boots is
covered BY the wailings Of the con
tederate npon the ground. He pres
emily feels better, thanks the teIlah
TOR his kindness, and in bis turn,
disappears into the thicket.
" Va, Mohammed! what have
we herep' exclaims the simple one,
with stupid wonderment, when turn
ing to mount poor Brownie, he be-
bolds,a human being Of sinister as
~ect in his place..
S'W hom hast thou here ! why,
thy donkey, master! for the S. ell
is broken, and / am a mau once
more. All! she was aspitefIll wo-
man, that wife Of mine, who bril,ed
the magician Of oar neighborhood
to change my nature so. = And
double was my unluekiness in fall
ing, when | became a donkey, to
such a boor Of a master as thou
" ell thou knoWest what short al
|owances of, beans and basseem
have been mine, and what liberal
allowance otkieks and blows; shut. y
said he> with a stride forward and
! wolfsEa grin, 8 tbs my turn now,
'evenge# is sweet, and Twill have
nine ont Of thee!'' s.
Down plump upon his. knees the
;ellah, terrified, entreating pardon
rom his ex donkey for rsnel offences
ar his conscience to readily could
"Alas.! alas T. cries he. stthe art
If the magician has deceived me |
,onld I but have known that thou,
lear donkey, were. a brother and a
oeliever,th thou shonld'st have had
oasseem in plenty, andneyer q kick,
blow, nor an an word. For-z
i've, dear donkey unintentional |
,fending; I acknowledge my fault,
ind [ repent !o
d ssMake compensation, then" re-
orts the ready rogue e'sDid [ not
eel the extra weigh Of that bag Of
,iastres, which thou d.dst= receive
,rt now, upon the fair ground, for /
hose many loads Of darra which /
ny breaking back bore to the vll-
age, this last week or two Give
ne that bag, Isay It is but justiceI
or that's but tzone of many piastre-
agz which | have helped 70 earn
or thee ...=
What between the ghostly fear Of
be magic spell, which seemed to
reathe in this adventure, and bodi-|
= fear OF the l5edoween, whose air
'as by-:no means that Of q meek
onkey safe to triifae q with the unllap
y and beWilaered IeIlal, complies
it'll the demand, and the spoiler,
:rupulously returnlng to him the
ow useless halter, comforts him
rith the assurance that the past is
that no curse OF his shall
mt his former master !; ); and then,
idding him 60 IN peace, takes bis