Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-12-24
Seleeted Snru.
The THREE CRIMES.
AN EASTERN TALE.

Hamet Abdallah was an inhabitant of a
grotto on one of the slopes of Mount Olym-
pus. When he stood at the entrance of
his 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 offer
ed up his prayers to Allah, he invoked
blessings upon the head of Solyman the
Magnificent, the reigning Sultan in whose
time he lived. Indeed, Abdallah was re-
nowned for his sanctity and the inhabi-
tants Of tie vicinity of this dwelling treat
ed 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 der
wise 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 walk
along the slopes of Olympus, was allowed
to join in the prayers Of the two dervises,
kneeing upon the ground at the entrance
of the cave, and turning their countenan-
ces toward the holy cities of Mecca and
Medina.
Hamet Abdallah was one morning ro-
wing amidst the groves and woods, which
extended up the mountain far above his
grotto, and bordering upon the passage in
the Koran which he bad perused but a
short time previously, when his foot sud-
denly strnck against something hard up
on the ground. He looked downward.
and saw an iron ring fastened to small
brass plate which was let into square of
stone work, and seemed to cover hollow
place or we'll. Obeying sudden impulse
of curiosity. Hamet applied his hand to
the ring. and pulled it with all his force
After many vain attempts, the brass plate
yielded to bis exertions, and he fell back
ward with sudden shock.
Before he had time to rise and exam
inc the aperture thus laid bare. dense
volume of smoke issued from the hole, and
assembled in the air to the height of sever
al thousand feet.
lamet gazed with astonishment upon
this strange apparition /; but how much
more was bis wonder excited when he saw
the SIN Ike gradually becoming more and
more palpable and shapely, and at length
assume the form ofan immense giant, with
long flowing white beard, and a tremen-
dous pine tree in his right hand
Hamet fell down upon his kness, and
was about to put prayer to heaven, when
the terrible apparition addressed him in a
voice of thunder:
Nay. mention not the name OF the De-
ity, Or viii cut you into thousand pie
ccs
Who art thou?' demanded Hamet, ris-
ing from the suppliant posture.
4 am Kara, an evil genii, whom vic
torious power shut up in that cursed hole,
where have languished for over two
Thousand years. t is an evil day for thee
that brought thee hither'
And wherefore, proud gcnii ? demand
ed Hamet.
Because / am about to kill thee, in or
der 10 avcnge myself upon some one for
this long captivity replied the giant.
At these words, Hamlet trembled very
much, and besought the genii to spare his
life. For long time the genii was in
exorable. and ordered him to prepare for
immediate death but at length be suffer
ed himself to be proved By the prayers and
cntresties Of the yirtuous deryise.