The daily gazette., 1879-04-18
The Honest Baker
BYw. J.

In Grand Cairo, IL 4 baker sell short
weight, nr adulterates the materials from
which his bread 10 made, aud the crime 10
brought home to him by the inquisitors,
who daily go about in various quaint dis
Ignises 70 inspect provisions and examine
weights and measures, for the first Ofiense
1.-THE officers at once distribute all the
bread that they can find in his shop to
the poor, and The offender is then nailed
to his own door, sometimes by one ear
and sometimes by both, for the space Of
twelve hours. For the second offense his
bread is distributed as aforesaid, and he
receives the punishment of the bastinado
by having inflicted two and even three
hundred blows upon his feet, and after
ward large broad board is placed upon
his shoulders, with an opening for the
head to pass through, and on and around
this board are placed heavy masses of
lead; ard loaded down with this mark of
infamy, he Is forced tn walk through the
principal streets of the city until his
strength Is exhausted; and should he
survive this punishment and have the
hardihood 10 commit third ofleDse, he 10
instantly condemned to death and be-
headed in the public square.
Hassan was noted throughout the city
OF Grand Cairo as man Of the most un-
sullied honesty; his word was considered
as good as most mems bonds and his
bread was the finest, the whitest and the
most delicious that could be obtained in
the entire city. The consequence was
that while other bakeries languished for
want of custom, Hassan's shop was filled
with purchasers almost all the time, from
sunrise to sunset, and he was rapidly ac-
cumulating comfortable fortune.
AT length, however, baker named Ca
led, whose reputation for making his
bread and cakes just as bad as he could,
, and escape punishment, was as extended
as Hassan's for the excellence of his ar
ticles, made up his mind that this state OF
n things should continue no longer, and
either his rival should perish, or he him.
4 self would die in the attempt to accom-
lplish his downfall.
Called was not, however, altogether owing
to Hassan's success In trade, thought that
|, was very bitter pill for him 10 swallow
but was likewise increased in conse.
= lquence of his having been disappointed
suitor for the hand of Hassan's daughter
, Before proceeding further let me tell you
o that the worthy baker Hassan had bu,
this one daughter-no other child-an4
as she was not only very beautiful, but
was supposed to possess the secret where
, by her father produced such fine, white
/: bread, the offers for her hand were very
numerous and very urgent. She, how
n ever, so great was the respect and love
she entertained for her father, would lis
= ten to no proposition to change her es
!; ate, and declaiming all offers with firm
mess but kindness, remained contented
and happy in Hassan's abode. To Caled'
= suit she expressed herself particular,
D. averse, and it was doubtless owing to hel
i undsguised dislike that he first began t
8 revolve In his torruous and dark mine
o schemes for her fathers destruction.
Alter deliberating upon and rejecting
a number of devices he hit upon the fol
J lowing, which he Immediately concluded
TO adopt. Having first obtained large
bundle of straw and other inilammablt
Substances, he heaped them in a pile
quite near the rear part of Hassan's shop
and then Just before the hour at which
= the inquisltors were likely to pass through
7 the street, he set fire to the pile, which
e at once blazed up furiously. Just as h,
s. anticipated, both Hassan and his daugh
Il ter rushed forth in great alarm to Learn
l. the cause of this sudden confagration.
II The instant they left the shop Called
is who was watching near, passed unobserv
s. ed into the shop, and in all instant hat
J. removed all the honest weighs and meas
ures and substituted the false ones h,
t. had prepared. lie had barely time +,
of accomplish his work and make good hi
u escape before Hassan and his daughter
l. laughing heartily at the trifle that hat
" caused them such alarm, returned to th'
shop, and just as they re-entered VIII,
should come along but the inquisitors.-
. Pretending, as they always did, to b.
customers, they demanded a pound 0
!. bread and a measure of -four, and tn
y unsuspecting Hassan proceeded to suppl
=, =, their wants; but almt st instantly tn
ID practiced eye oil the chief of the inquisi
II. ton discovered the falslty of both weight
~ and measures.
y, Throwing off their disguise they q
is once seized Hassan, at the same tim
j. proclaiming aloud the ofense he ha
u ~ committed. In vain he protested his il
III nocence the proof of guilt was befoI
their eyes. In vain he begged of then
to call to mind that he had for year
they asserted, only made the crime NOR
heinous, as it was only taking mean &C
vantage of the universal confidence re
he posed In him and in spite of all his pre-
s testations and his daughters tears, the
4 forthwith turned the contents of his sho
raa ea into the street, and having bound hr
hand aud foo., nailed him igAominiousl
by both ears to his own door.
os W Perceiving how utterly useless bot
NJ tea,s and entreaties proved, the baker
rs daughter set herself to consider VIII
he could have been the author of this d.
nh III ceit that had been practiced upon he
lie father, and it WAS not many moments b.
fore the conviction settled upon her min
that it was no other than Called. 81
= remembered distinctly having seen hi
lurking near wheE she rushed out ALARM
ss sie ed at the fire, and putting this and tn
together, she was firmly convinced that
was to him they owned the misery th
est had overtaken them.
Whispering her father to be of go'
cheer, she gathered her shawl aroni
!. her ,and having sought out the linguistic
}. besought them SO earnestly to accompal
-, bat ha mi Uh