The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-10-23
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE THREE CRIMES.
An Eastern Tale.

Hamet Abdallah was an inhabitant
OF q grotto on one OF the shores Ol
Mount Olympus. When he stood at
the entrance 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 day
offered up his prayers to Allah, he
invoked blessings upon the head Of
Solymanthe Magnificent, the reigning
Sultan in whose time he lived. In
deed, 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 ol
great sanctity. and whose years
amounted to four-score, resided with
him in the same grottO and fortu
nate was deemed the individual who,
on his way along the slopes OF the
lOlympus, was allowed to join in the
,prayers of the two dervises, kneeline
upon the ground at the entrance o.
the cave, and turning their cOunte
nances toward the holy cities o.
Mecca and Medina.
Hamet Abdallah was one morning
rowing amidst the graves and woods
which extended up the mountain fal
above his grotto, and pOndering upor
the passage in the Koran which h'
had been perusing a short time pre-
viously, when his foot suddenly
struck against something hard upoI
the ground. He looked downward
and saw an iron ring fastened to
small brass plate, which was let int
q square Of stonework, and seemed
to cover a hollow place or WE'LL
Obeying sudden impulse of curios
lity, Hamet applied his hand to the
ring and pulled it with all bis force
After many vain exertiOns the bras
plate yielded to his efforts, and h'
fell backward with the sudden shock
pAfore he had ti.>>-A> -iAA -A.Aa---
anime the aperture thus laid bare,
dense volume of smoke issued iron
the hole, and ascended in the air t
1.-The hight of several thousand feet.
/, Hamet gazed with astonishmen
lupon this strange apparition; bu
Ihow much more was his wonder e1
Icited when he saw the smoke grae
ually become more and more palpabl
Z and shapely, and at length assum
the form Of An immense giant, wit
q long flowing white beard, and
tremendous pine tree in his rigl
hand.
Hamet fell upon his knees and vi
about to put up prayer to heavel
[lwhen the terrible apparition addres
ed him in q voice Of thunder:
SHAY; mention not the Deity,
1t I will cut thee into ten thousan
- pieces"
ID "Who art thou ?" demanded Han
10 ct, raising from his suppliant po
ture.
81 am Kala, an evil Genii, who
j. a victorious power shut up in tn
!. accursed hole, where have languis
ed for two thousand years. 1t is
evil day for thee that brought tn
= hither."
"And wherefore, proud Genii
demanded Hamet.
!, aRecause / am about to kill the
lin order to avenge myself upon son
II one for this long captivity"
At these words Hamet trembl,
very much, and besought the Ger
tn snare his life. For long tir
the Genii was inexorable and order
!, him to prepare for immediate dealt
> but at length he suffered himself
N. be moved by the prayers and entire
les of the virtuous dervises.
st "Hark ye," said the Genii, 81 a
. willing to spare your life upon oil
By condition"
"Name it." said Hamet, MS mes
leaping with joy.
81 will grant your request, l say
q proceeded the Genii, "on conditl
! that you perpetrate some crime viii
may diminish your overweeni
pride of conscious virtue. Do I
interrupt me, or l will kill you on
'as SPOT; but listen. ] give you ye
=, choice of three Of the most heine
= crimes which / can imagine. \
5 shall either violate the law OF
N, Prophet, and drink your fill OF GO
of wine or you shall murder your "
re- erable old father; or you shall Gu
& the name Of Deity whom you worsh
rth Choose between these three crime
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