The Baltimore County union., 1868-02-22
The Derii-Tree.

Adevil-,ree, as might be expected, is ofdiiIeIeni
aspect from any other tree that grows. II Il
usually tree Of gigantic growth, aud sound and
green as any OF Its forest brethren II Il It's fruit
tha, makes II 50 singular q spectacle. As every
body u aware, the vegetable productions OF the
dominion OF the King Of Musca, are marvellous 10
behold. l.illle bushes are bowed TO the ground
with Scarlet orangeshaped fruit as large a. socoa.
nuts and trees bigger than English bceches
present the appearances OF q giant bouquet, being
literally covered with tiny, waxen.whiie flowers,
delicaie as the rose. Gape-like bnnches Of deli
eious-lookiag fruit festoon the highway hedges
In Tar greater abundance than blaekberries on
English bushes, and hang and rot; for % deadly
poisonous are they that q bullet through the head
would not be more fatal thau one Of these grapes
in tho mouih.
But the most curious tree Of ell is the one that
from its bole 10 It's topmost branch is iestooned
with rags aud scraps and flinders Of every posi-
bic description. Little parcels Of dried grnss,
screws OF mating paned through with q thorn.
scraps Of eask-hooping, broken bottles, spliniers
Of wood, old pots aud pans, wlsps Of straw, fag-
ends ofrope, and hundred other things besdes
This Is the "deyil-iree" Every district OF
Aansibar possesses one; indeed, lie existence Is
as essential to the lives Of the inhabiiants-ihat
10, the native inhabiianis--as their daily bread
tree aud yet the jei-black wooly- headed believ-
ere In Il pass By Il with fear and trembling, and
can scarcely look on Il without shudder. And
no wonder; Il u hive Of imps. OF the thous-
and devils that ailet the good people Of Zanzibar
there 10 not one but has lie representative housed
In this tree. Imps Of plague live there, imps, Of
hmins, smallpox imps yellow fever imPS, aud
lmp' that .hies men with rAving madness:
Thesr are there, aud many more, all alive, and
ready 70 hop down aud begin their old tricks
anew, hevet they should grow dissatisfied with
their lot. That lnnocentlOoking stone bottle,
handeless, spouiless. and with great Feni In iis
side, is the house Of an imp, whose dabollcal
mission u ls 10 break mems limbs. That biz Of
crooked iron hoop. gibbs.ed 10 yon big boaeh,
looks perfectly harmless, but nvsibly as,ride u,
or on Il, or somewhere about II, is an Imp OF the
blacklist dye, no less, indeed, than mura,r imp.
His history v soon stated. He took possession
Of = man aud caused him 10 break his wife's head
With club, aad 10 ssransle hs sxo little rhlldrsH
And throw them Into The river. True. they hang
ei the nlan for Il, but they could not kill the
" ked the wicked imp that still luskea within
dead man Of the hangman, aud conIuted the
drcadful little demon iEso that bit VI irou hoop,
and hung him up IN the dsvll.tree. Tb> bll oi
iron hoop was not - 'siiAersd-looklug al The
lms Me lnan uas hanged ~ u Il nov. Il was
quite INV bit of hoop, and the Imp must have
procured u ior The prisoner out Of the Kings
store. AZ all events, they bad casght the wretch
NAN%8Ns88l
had ground u as sharp as . razor against aslone,
Tor ihe purpose of taking bis own Tile, Il was
1 thought, bat bis courage failed him. When bis
friends kiched The body home tier Wsrr . little
psrpexsd a. 10 whirh lhs imp would choose ~
hls fuiure abode--tbe dub With which hs had
killed bis vile VI the blt VI Iron hoop. They
/ laid both implemcnls on The dead mans breast
and The uysiery.man ane the musicians, with
their reed whistles aud tLslF copper bAagsis and
their ionl-loma, sat ronnd him. aud played all
The pFeltiest tunes they kneU. ilwas plain, iiOpl
The length VI tms the imp kept the muslclans at
work, that he was undecided ~ 70 whsther the
tae club o. The hlt oflFsu hoop shsula be hls
faaep nbods bet pEsssnily ~ myslsfy- doctor
ohssrved The hit of iruu hoop qalser, and u
esuFss that ssttlrd The question. " every rag,
tag. and niuder attached " the devllirss has lis
slsly. 8saas sts - ssFy sii that tie Particuinr
alrauliy Cor which ths imp dpslllnR iAsruln was
snrsnrri and rundsmnsd 10 the esii irss y iegEsi
len but The tire u v giganlle alAs, and shelmps
hou1e may BE- oonnasd ~ hnmdrsdn.