The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-06-04
The Three Crimes.
AN EASTERN TALE.

AN EASTERN TALE.
Hamet Abdallah was an inhabitant
of gretto on one of the slopes of
the Mount Olympus. When he stood
at the entrance of his humble dwell
ing, he could embrace with 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 the blessings
upon the head of Solyman the Mag
nificent, the reigning Sultan in
whose time he lived. Indeed Abdal-
lah 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
fortieth year when the incident of
this tale took place. His venerable
father, who was himself a dervise of
great sanctity, and whose years
am ounted 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
Olympus, was allowed to join the
prayers of the two dervises, kneel-
lag upon the ground at the entrance
of the cave, and turning their coun
tenances towards the holy cities OF
Mecca and Medina.
Hamet Abdallah was one morn
ing rowing amidst the groves and
woods, which extended up the noun
tain far above his grotto, and pom
fdering upon the passage in the Ko
ran which he had been perusing but
a short time previously when his
foot struck against something hard
upon the ground. He looked down
ward, and saw an iron ring fastened
to small brass plate, which was let
into square of stonework, and
seemed to cover hollow place or
well. Obeying a sudden impulse of
curiosity, Hamet applied his Land
to the ring. and pulled it with all his
force After many vain exertions,
the brass plate yielded to his strength
and he fell backwards with the sud
den shock.
Before he had time to rise and ex
anime the aperture thus laid bare: a
dense volumn Of SIN oke issued from
the hole. and ascended in the air to
the hight of several thousand feet.
Hamet : gazed with astenishment
upon this strange apparition; but
how much more was his wonder ex-
cited when he saw the smoke grad
ually become more and more palpa
pie and shapely, and at length as
sumo the from of an immense giant,
with long flowing white beard and
tremendous pine tree in his right
hand
Hamet fell upon his knees, and
was about to put up prayer, TO heav-
en-, when the terrible apparitional
addressed him in q voice of thun-
der:
"Nay--m entionnot the name OF
the Deity or will cut thee in ten
thousand pieces"
"Who art thou ?" demanded Ha-
met, rising from his suppliant pos
ture.
81 am Kara, an evil Genie, whom
q victorious power shut up in that
cursed hole, where I have anguish
ed for two thousand years. 1t is an
evil day for thee that brought thee
hither." ----....-
"And wherefore, proud Genie p
demanded Hamet.
s'Because | am about to kill thee
in order to avenge myself upon some
one for this long captivity" replied
the giant.
At these words Hamet trembled
very much and besought the Genie
to spare his life. For a long tins
the Genie was inexorable, and or
dered him to prepare for immediate
death but at length he suffered
himself to be moved by the prayer:
and entreaties of the virtuous der
wise.
clark ye,'' said the Genie :'I an
willing to spare your life upon on
condition.
"Name it." cried Hamet, his hear
leaping with joy.
Il will grant your request I sa,
proceeded the Genie, "on condition
that you perpetrate some Grim
which may diminish your overween
ing pride of conscious virtue. D.
not interrupt me or I will kill yo,
upon the spot; but listen. l Civ
you your choice of the three mos
heinous crimes l can imagine. Yo'
shall either violate the law of til
prophet and drink your fill of goo'
wine; or you shall murder you
venerable old father; or you shal
, curse the name of that Deity whom
yho worship. Choose between thes
three crimes"
Then Hamet was very sorrowful
and he endeavored to melt the hear
Of the evil Genie; but all his prayer
and entreaties were unavailing. II
accordingly began to reason wit