Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-14
The Enchanted Flute.

The Enchanted Flute.
Long, long ago, wnen the great Aerxes
was king, there lived in the confines OF
Persia shepard whose name was Ahmed,
and who besides being well to do III
this world, boosted handsome face and
figure. He was by nature ola bold and
aspiring temperament, but solitude had
engendered a melancholy that lent vein
Of poesy to his character.
Near to the pastures wherein he tenned
his focks, there was wood OF dense
growth and of evil rcpute. All Stunned
It as the abode of Genii, and the birth
place of the evil spirit, whom the Pers
ians name Shitan; but the soul OF All
med was troubled by no such fears. Aft
er his heards were safely penned, he used |
to stroll through the gloomy avenues otthe !
forest TO where mimic fountain discours.
ed swee. music to the invisible nymphs
and dryads of its solitudes. There he
would sit in calm enjoyment, watching
the sport of the wat,r, and breathing
plaintive airs upon pipe, which ne had
made from the bough of neighborlng
tree
One day, however, he lost his flute, and
therefore, when he reached his accus tom
ed spot, and sat and unused in silence, he
fell asleep and ne dreamed dream.
In fancy he was transported to a dell
in the midst of the wood, in the centre
rose mound, wherein there grew tree
tall and straight but OF peculiar appear
ance, the leaves being blood red. While
he was commenting upon this clrcum-
stance, voice from the mound command
ed him to cut from the tree a branch, and
to fashion pipe threfrom; but as be en-
deavored to accomplish this, the scene
faded from his gaze, and, lo he was in
room, in a palatial mansion, the like OF
which he had never seen before. Gorgeous
tapestries depended from the wall; couch
es of azure silk and glistening silver were
placed here and there in lavish profusion
while columns of lapis lazuli, infinitely
pleasing to the eye, supported vast
roof of torquois, intersected with diamond
stars.
In the midst of all this beauty, there
reclined upon a fauteull, heaped with
down, maiden of irresistible loneliness,
seemingly wrapped in slumber. And he
dreamt that he played upon his pipe, and
that the maiden arose; and with the sound
of a rejoicing multitude in his ears he
awoke.
To say that Ahmed was not disturbed
by this vision would be false, the more sc
that he remembered having seen in hi
rambles through TIE woods, such del
as was presented to him in his dream
With this idea in his head, he returned
home, but resolved to devote the morrow
to a search for the mysterious tree,
With the rising Of the sun he was astll
and soon reached the wood, where h
wandered for many hours in fruitles
quest. At last, however, he stopped to res
his wearied frame, and began abstracted
" to pluck some twigs from tree ths
grew out of mound close by. To his IL
tense horror he found that the ends drol
ped blood. A second time he pulled
sapling, when a hollow voice from belo
warned him to desist from such wantc
cruelty, but babe him, as in his drear
fashion flute from the branch which
held in his hand.
1t was the grave of the valiant but III
fortunate Selim, neighboring prime
who had been basely murdered by h
rivals to the hand of the beauteous Nj
lee. The javelins with which
had been transfixed HI
taken root, and the blood had flow
from his body.
To explain matters more fully to o
young readers, we must retrace our to-
steps.
About five years previous to the date
our story, all Persia was ringing with
r loves of Prince Selim and the love
Malice, the beloved daughter of a ri
and powerful monarch. Their espou
was to have taken place on the festival
the Fatted Calf, for which preparatit
were already being made; but the prir
was waylaid and assassinated in wo'
His murderers did not long survive hi
for the vengeance of the gods overtc
them as it does all evll-doers.
The grief of the beauteous Malice Y
dreadful TO witness, and in pity an anna
goddess threw her into a deep sleep fr
which she could not be awakened.
vain the king, her father, offered
mense rewards to any one who sho
arouse her; in vain the sages came "
their wisdom, the dervishes with Il
prayers, and magicians with their asst
abes Many we're the trials made,
many were the failures.
Such was the position of affairs at
times our story opens.
Upon putting the pipe which he
cut to his lips, it discoursed such
sweet music that Ahmed was moved
tears, as were al, who afterwards liste
to its melancholy but melodious stra
Seemingly now possessed of strs
restlessness, Ahmed left his focks
herds, and travelled about the coul
playing upon his pipe, often recei
considerable sums OF money from
facinated audiences.
- A: length he arrived at the court O.
great King Aradak, the father of the
" but unfortunate Malice; and upon
suring him that he was d hakim of rem
he obtained permission to attempt
cure of the princess. Disdaining ever
semblance of preparation, Ahmed