The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-09-20

stone steps, unmindful of the keen
knives, and stood by the little donkey in
moment.
All, my treasure r he cried. .sMy
eyes delight Come with me at once
from this place and return to Abu Ben
Abend, that may marry the rose of
women, the beautiful Fatina."
'On one condition, said Ziba.
Name it, cried Youssif.
You must buy me, said Ziba.
'sAlas = groaned Youssif, .syou ask
the impossible. Abu Bend Abend would
not sell You for thousand gold pieces,
and am very poor"
Knock on the wall before you five
times" said the donkey.
Youssif did as he was hidden. The
wall opened, as the gray rock had done;
which were great heaps of gold and
precious stones, before which sat strange
shapes, that held in their arms silver
harps, upon which they made sweet mu-
sic.
This man" said Ziba to them, sshas
never done dishonorable act; has never
spoken cross word to living creature,
nor struck a blow upon man or beast.
His safe passage down the stairway of
knives proves it. Give him, pray you,
his reward"
One of the strange beings laid sack up
on Ziba's back, and another filed ii with
gold and precious gems, till the little fell
low cried: II can bear no more. .
Nov" said the astonished Youssif, s'we
| will return to the upper world, and we
shall see what will happen.
Precisely at 8 o'clock Youssif entered
Abu Ben Abends gate, leading Ziba by
! the halter.
"Allah be praised! and may all don
keys be destroyed" cried Abu Ben
Abend, falling upon Ziba with his stout
stick. ''I'll teach you abominable beast
to stay in your stable in the future"
Hold" said Youssif, seizing his arm.
"For how much will you sell so miser,
able an animal?"
"Five hundred gold sequins!" shouted
Abu Ben Abend. Give hundred gold
sequins, thou beggar! Not para less. >
IT will pay you that price for him,
said Youssif, calmly opening his girdle
'.And to make you feel less lonely al
| giving up the good and beautiful Fatima
/ shall be happy to add to that sum SOC
gold lira as wedding gift"
! Youssif counted out the money; and
as lira Is equal to about "a so, and 0
sequin is worth about 81 %, the whole
amount made quite little bill of gold
upon Abu Ben Abend's table.
"Bismillah!" cried that gentleman
shutting his eyes and dropping down
upon his rug in an ecstacy of Joy. IBIS
millah! That I should have neighbor
and not know it. Now can depart in
peace, since so great and excellent man
is going to marry my daughter"
| The wedding of Youssif and Fatima
was celebrated with great splendor as
became descendant of the prophet and
the daughter of rich money-lender
and they began housekeeping in beau
tiful villa that overlooked the Sweet
Waters.
| When they had been married q year
and q day, Ziba babe them an affectionate
good-by, and trotted away down the lane
between the fields of wheat till he came
to the hillside, where he disappeared in
the gray rocks, as he did on the memor-
able day / have described, and though
Youssif knocked many times no answer
| came.
! That night a thicket of wild roses
sprang up about the gray rock and hid
it; and Youssif, believing it to be sacred
place, erected a shrine there, and those
who visited it sometimes heard voice in
the earth whisper: "a kind act is never
lost. Be kind. Be kind"
| Youssif and Fatima were so very happy
together, their bliss became proverb
and when they died, at the close of a long
life, and were buried beneath the shrine
among the roses, for many years young
people made pilgrimages to the spot, to
pray that in their welded life they might
be as happy as Youssif and Fatima. And
the voice in the earth always answered
'Be kind. Be kind"