The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-11-07
A SOOTHSAYER IN SPITE OF HIM.
SELF.

The Sultan Karam-B ou-Ladj reigned
at Samarcand,
He was a sovereign much loved, who
had only one sole fault, that of being
passionately fond of apples, although he
no longer possessed teeth with which
to crunch them. In the garden of his
seraglio he had magnificent orchard,
which excited the envy of all his sub
jects. His excessive love for this fruit
had given him the surname of Karam-
Bou-Ladj, which Arab phrase signifed
"Good Father Pippin.
In spite of strict surveillance his APP
pies were stolen, not only by the mag
mates of the court, but even by the
young people of the town, many of
whom ran the risk of losing their heads
in order TO eat so fine a fruit. The
Grand Vizier himself was unable to re-
sist the temptation, and one evening he
scaled the wall of the orchard, like
common thief, that he might satisfy his
gourmandise.
A Grand Vizier goes nowhere without
being observed and especially when he
climbs over walls. His enemies, there
fore, Matched plot against him and
one evening, while he was tasting Sui
tan apple, the finest sort in the orchard,
the assassins threw themselves on him,
and killed him. They then fled, leaving
the corpse on the spot.
Two other thieves, who also were in
the habit of eating the Sultan's apples,
saw the crime committed. One was
Ben-Douda, the Sultan's Jester, the
other was young man OF the town,
named Ali. AfIrighted at what they had
seen, they also fled, scaling simultane-
ously the wall of the seraglio and such
was their terror that they fell, one on
the other, on the outside of the inclos-
ure. There they seized each other by
the collar, each one installing the other
for an assassin. Happily, being ac-
quainted, mutual recognition soon took
place.
"Did you see?" asked Ben Douda.
CAL, replied Ali " also recognized
among the murderers the Lord Omar,
who has long intrigued to occupy the
post of Grand Vizier. "
eve cannot denounce him to the Sui
tam" said Ben-Douda, without de-
nouncing ourselves and yet so great a
crime cannot go UNPUBLISHED.
"What is to be done ?" inquired Ali.
"Listen," replied the Jester. "To-
morrow you must meet the Sultan on
his return from the mosque, and L will
present you to him as the greatest
soothsayer in the Kingdom. He will
take you to the palace, and there you
will tell all you have seen.
This plan once arranged, the two ac-
completes separated.
At the appointed time Ali met Karam-
Bou-Ladj, and Ben-Douda presented
him 20 the Sultan, who ordered him to
attend him to the palace.
The Sultan of Samarcand was not
slow in returning home, and in summon
ing before him the famous magician,
An, of whom Ben-Douda had told him
wonders.
"Speak listen,' said Karam .Bou-
Ladi "divine what thought occupies
nv mind at this moment"
"Mighty Lord" said Ali, "your
Highness is uneasy on account of the
absence of your Grand Vizier, whom
YOU have not seen since last evening. &"
"By the beard of the Prophet, it is
so And what has become of this excel
lent Grand Vizier?"
"Sultan, he was assassinatedby apple
stealers, while, devoted to your High
ness, he kept watch over your orchard. "
"You lie p exclaimed the Sultan, in
great excitement.
"I see him." added Ali, in tone of
inspiration "he lies covered with
blood Mt the foot of the tree which bears
the celebrated Sultan apple, which you
prefer" $3.50,
several eunuchs to assure him of the fact,
and these very soon returned in tears
20 confirm the assertion of the sooth-
sayer.
= "The names of the murderers J" cried
the Sultan in his sad Indignation.
Ali feigned to consider. One might