The Portland daily press., 1867-03-13
Pleasing MIsces
.,.v ne Eouud Them o"'.

rup ADVENTURES OF THE GREEDY BEN
~ HAssAN.
word spoken at random has eiten proved
IF more utility than the best concerted plans;
hence il often happens that fools often pos
ner where men OF talent fail Here is an H.
lustration:
A poor simple peasant, OF the name of Ben
hassan, being heartily tired of his daily fare
of tbrown bread and water, resolved, what
ever might be the consequences, to procure To
himself by hook or by crook, even at the ex
pense of broken head three snmptuous
meals. Having taken this courageous and no
BILE resolution, the next thing was to devise
plan to put IT into execution; and here his
GOOD fortune beiriended him. The vile OF a
rich ivory merchant in the neighbOrhood OF
his cottage had, during the absence of her
husband, lost a valuable diamond ling; she
offered great rewards to any person who
would recover it, or give any tidings of the
level. But no one was likely to do either:
for three eunuchs, of whose fidelity she had
not the smallest doubt, had stolen it, The
story of the loss soon reached our glutton's
ears.
TN CO." cries he; "Tll say / am a coniuro,
and that Will discover where the gem is hid
den, on condition OF first receiving three splen
uu iiiNN' Sh.ait iuii, tlo tlut. w Ildt Llen
j shall be treated as az impostor my back and
sides may say, How dye do?' TO the bastina
do but my hungry stomach will be iilledr'
10 concoct his scheme and put it in practice
was but the work OF moments. The lady, anx-
ious Tor the recovery OF her ring. accepted the
offered terms. A sumptuous dinner was pre-
pared the table was covered with rich yiands
expensive plates of every sort were placed up
on the sideboari. Allah how he ate An at
tentive footman, one of the secret thieves, fill
ell him sherbet; our conjurer, gorged, eXcaim-
ed:
lis well have the firstv'
The servant trembled at the ambiguous
words, and ran TO bis companions.
"He has found us out, dear friend" he cried
"He is a cunning man. lie said he had the
first. What could he mean but me?'
1T looks like it," replied the second thief
'Ill wait ON him tonight; as yet You may
have mistaken his meaning Should he speak
in the same strain, we must decamp."
AT night supper iii ioI the caliph was set
before the greedy Benhassan, who filled until
he could eat no more. The second footman
watched him all the while. When satisfied, he
rose, exclaiming:
''rhe seconds in my sack, and cannot es-
cape me-"
Away flew the afirighted robber.
1--WE are lost" he cried. Our heels alone
can save us" 4s4
Not So" answered the third. "If we fly
and are caught, we lose our heads. I'll tend
him at to-morrowS meal and should he then
speak as before, I'll own the theft to him. and
offer some great reward to screen us from pun
lshment, and that he may deliver the Jewel to
the lady without betraying u.s."
They all agreed. On the morrow Benhas-
sans appetite was still the same AT last
quite full, he exclaimed:
MY task is done; the third, thank Allah, is
herer' -
"Oh," said the culprit, @behoId the ring. but
hide our shame, and you shall never want
good fare again.
BE silent" exclaimed the astonished Ben.
hassan, who little thought that what he had
spoken OF his meals could have made the
plunderers betray themselves. it"Be silent! |
have it."
Some geese were feeding before the VIM
dow; he went out, and having seized the larg-
est, forced the ring down its gullet; then de-
clared that the largest goose had swallowed
the jewel. The goose was killed, the dia-
mond found. In the meantime the ivory
merchant returned, and was incredulous. i,
Some crafty knave, o WIFE," said he, seith-
er the thief himself, or his abettor, has, with
Well-cODcerted scheme, wrought on yonr easy
faith. But ri soon try his powers of diyina-
ton. I'll provide him with a meal likewise.
No sooner said than done; between two
dishes the mysterious fare was hidden. The
false conjurer was told to declare what was
the concealed cheer, on pain of being well
beaten should he fail.
Alas, he muttered out, "Benhassan, thou
art pig; thou art dead referring to himself,
and calling himself names.
Hes right the merchant cried "Giye
him purse of gold | honor talents such as
his fTtI ~
1t was pork in the dish. Thus our olutton,
by three random speeches, gained three hearty
meals,a heavy purse, comfort for life, and amost
brilliant reputation as a cunning man.