Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1868-08-27
THE THREE GRIMES.
An Eastern Tale.

Hamet Abdallah was an inhabitant
of grotto on one ofthe slopes of Mount
Olympus. When he stood at the ent-
rance of his humble dwelling, he
could embrace at one glance all the
territory originally possessed by
Osman, the founder of the Ottoman
Empire; and, as he five times a day
offered up his prayers to Allah, he
invoked blessings upon the head of
SOlyman the Magnificent, the reign
Indeed, Abdallah was renowned for
his sanctity; and the inhabitants of
the vicinity Of his dwelling treated
him with the most marked respect.
He was not, however, entitled to
this excessive veneratiOn by his age,
for he had scarcely attained his for
tieth year when the incident of this
tale took place. His venerable father,
who was himself a dervise of great
sanctity, and whose years amounted
to four score, resided with him in the
same grotto; and fortunately was
deemed the individual who, on his
way along the slopes of the Olympus,
was allowed to join in the prayers of
the two dervises, kneeling upon the
ground at the entrance of the cave,
and turning their countenances to-
ward the holy cities of Mecca and
Medina.
Hamet Abdallah was one morning
rowing amidst the groves and woods,
which extended up the mountain far
above his grotto, and pondering upon
the passage in the Koran, which he
had been perusing but short time
previously, when his foot suddenly
Struck against something hard upon
the ground. He looked downward,
and saw an iron ring fastened to a
small brass plate, which was let into
a square of stOnewOrk, and seemed to
cover a hollow place or well. Obeying
sudden impulse of curiosity, Hamet
applied his hand to the ring and pull
ed it with all his force. After many
vain exertiOns the brass plate yielded
to his efforts, and he fell backward
with the sudden shock.
Before he had time to rise and ex-
anime the aperture thus laid bare, a
dense volume of smoke issued from
the hole, and ascended in the air to
the height of several thousand feet.
Hamet gazed with astOnishment
upon this strange apparitiOn but
how much was his wonder excited
when he saw the smoke gradually
become more and more palpable and
shapely, and at length assume the
form of an immense giant, with long
flowing white beard, and a tremend-
ious pine tree in his right hand.
Hamet fell upon his knees, and was
about to put, up a prayer to heaven,
when the terrible appaTitiOn addressed
him in voice of thunder:
"Nay: mention not the name of
the Deity, or will cut thee into ten
thousand pieces !"
"Who art thou ?" demanded Ha-
met, raising from his suppliant pos
ture.
''I am Kara, an evil Genie, whom
a victorious power shut up in that
accursed hole, where / have languish
ed for two thousand years. 1t is an evil
day for thee that brought thee hith-
er."
"And wherefore, proud Genie ?"
demanded Hamet.
because / am about to kill thee,
in order to avenge myself upon some
one for this long captivity"
At these words Hamet tFembled
very much, and besoUght the Genie
to spare his life. For long time the
Genie was inexorable, and ordered
him to prepare for immediate death;
but at length he suffered himself to be
moved by the prayers and entreaties
of the virtuous dervise.
"Hark ye," said the Genie, 81 am
willing to spare your life upon one
condition"