The Portland daily press., 1880-01-03
THE PRESS.
[For the Press.l
Eastern Legends.
BY II. LOISIF.

All the world has read, in its infancy at
least, the wondrous tales of the Arabian
Nights; and most of the world knows that
those tales are not the only ones which the
fertile imagination of Oriental story-tellers
has invented. In many book OF travel L
had seen illusions, more or less definite, to
these story-tellers of Egypt and the East, be-
fore had seen the pyramids or learned Ar
able enough to buy my breakfast. After
both had been accomplished and the Nile
explored, and the regular courses of adven-
ture and sightseeing completed, when, in
fact. had become so orientalized as to en-
ioy sitting for three hours among my cush-
ions with only hookah as a companion, or,
still worse, for double that time among the
divans of an old Mussulman to whom chance
had introduced me under suchfavorable aus
pices that he had become my guide in the
mazes of his language; when all this had
come to pass l determined to test ny knowl-
edge of Arabic, and crafty at the same time
the curiosity concerning these successors to
the beautiful Scheherazade. Accordingly,
in one of my four-hour interviews with my
Mussulman friend, l managed easily to
learn the nodus operandi for ''chrisi ian
dog to listen to a veritable story-teller
under the proper surroundings Skipping
the conversation with my friend, am going
to give you the results both IS to my own
movements and the legend which they con-
Quoted me to hear. One morning arrayed
myself in the dress of true believer,-tur-
ban, girdle, trousers, Slippers i wore them
all. However unusual such a costume may
be for a Christian, it is not unknown, and
F. besides, desired to get all the benefit of ex-
ternals in my coming experience Of novel
phase of life. Turning my steps toward the
market-place, as an Englishman would say,
or bazar in Eastern parlance, sauntered
among the booths and coffee-shops, crafty
ing my never-ending interest in the life, so
busy and yet SO slow, of this fascinating
people. A constantly changing, yet always
similar crowd, of foreign merchants, Jews,
Greeks, Americans, Negroes, Mohammedans,
Gentiles, Englishmen,- hues, all nations,
all sorts and orders of variously attired men
formed kaleidoscope of humanity to which
| was well accustomed, but in which my
pleasure and amusement was never-ending.
The tented booth of the story-teller being
reached at last, took my place among a
small group, half sitting, half reclining up
on mats upon the floor. Each individual
with his long pipe was gravely dividing his
attention between tobacco and romance.
Tho ctpry-ta1lar caatod mn n raicad di-
van, fortified with many cushions. His pipe
had gone out but was ready to be relighted.
was much impressed by his appearance.
His bushy eyebrows Swallowed darkly bright
pair of eyes. His white turban contrasted
with his swarthy complexion. His long
white beard rolled down over his loose vest,
and the mantle which hung over his Shout
ders, gave a sacerdotal air to his person.
Having already learned his history I knew
that he had led doubtful sort of life among
the Bedouins of the desert in his younger
days; that later he had been a dervish, one
of the bowling kind. In one of his religious
ecstasies he had been so injured as to pre-
vent further dancing, and thus it was that,
remembering the myths of the desert, and
knowing the mysteries of all sects, he had
become the most famous story-teller of Cal
70. AS took my place, he began fresh
story, as it seemed, running his musical Ar
able sentences together in sort of monoto-
nous chant, well in keeping with the slum.
berous surroundings.
1 cannot convey to you the peculiar aroma
of the whole scene, or give very successfully
the spirit and essence of his story. 1 can
only give an English version of a romance
which, I assure you, loses much in its trans
lation.