The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-05-19
TIRED AJEEB.
The Hindoo Legend of Asia's
Champion Chess Player.

In the city of Tchna- -Patnam lived q
savant named Ajeeb, who had a great rep
utation as virtuous man. 1t is true that
sometimes he forgot to count the beads OF
his poitah tBrahmanic rosary, but he never
failed to help the unfortunate. On his
death bed he had a weakness Of mind, he
regretted life, although be was certain to
get good place in the Garden Mendana
which is visited daily by Indra, the god OF
Ornament. He invoked the goddess Sur.
sutee, the second wife of Wishnu, and she
appeared to him, mounted on her pet tiger
and holding a branch of mango tree in her
hand. "Divine wife Of the blue god - ex.
claimed Aieeb, grant favor to the most
fervent adorer Of the ten incarnations."
what do you want from me" asked
Sursutee.
add ten years to my life" answered
'.Inipossible! My SON your DAYS are
numbered since your birth. You shall die
when the first ray of sun will shine on the
pagoda of Villa Karmia, and already the
dawn Of day whIens the horizon"
.'Grant me ten days!" replied Ajeeb.
9! can not give YOU more than day ="
said the goddess this present day, because
the order of this world will not be dis
tnrbed by granting this favor to you and
also because you have been a good and
wise man. At the end of this day, remem-
Der to come here and die" and Sursutee
disappeared.
Ajeeb rose, dressed himself, made his
ablutions and went out saying, There is a
new nte commencing for me; let me be
careful not to waste it,"
He met a Brahmin, who said to him:
"Ajeeb, If you are willing to write the his
tory OF Aureng Zeb, the glorious founder
OF the Mahratta's empire, will give you
field OF betel, castle with forest OF palm
trees and six ounces Of gold"
Life is too short" answered Ajeeb, 81
have not the leisure to write histories:
must live; let me pass"
Captain who recruited men for the
army said to him: "Ajeeb. our victorious
Emperor wants to fight the King Of Ele-
phanta; will you take the bow and ar
rowm
What foolishnessT replied Ajeeb, ''to
Kill people that must die. ! will not be the
valet OF Death"
A father OF family who had nine daugh-
ters, the incest girls that one could see said
to him: "Aleeh, will give you my young
est daughter with two elephants"
II have not time to marry" replied
Aleen;; II must pray pray to the blue god. In
barrass me great deal; the burden Of my
life is heavy enough to carry, without ad-
ding two elephants to it," - :.
The father of family, angered bv his re-
fusal, put his right thumb to his nose,
which is in Hindostan a very serious insult
Ajeeb thought: Life is too short, l have
not time to avenge myself"
=. savant said to him my learned
friend you, who know every thing, are
invited BY the Brahmins of Tchins Patnam
dark room to discover the causes OF the
eclipses and to write a book on the discov-
cry once made.
Ajeeb answered: 'The eclipses shall
have the causes they like the best that is
very Indifferent to me do not want to
enough to be sequsstered between four
walls. Let me respire the pure air coming
from the mountains and zee the indigo
heaven or the celestial India"
Then, replied the Brahmin, .'you want
to be an ignoramus your whole lifes"
"Oh! and that will not be very long, nei-
ther, as shall die tomorrow; you and the
others after tomorrow" -
Ajeeb had lost quarter Of an hour an
swering these people. "How precious is
time to me now!" Thought he Each mo-
ment is a priceless pearl falling from nv
hand into the bottom of the river Tripli-
can, and have so few pearls left" Aud
ne walked briskly over the plain Of Tchul-
try; which begins at the American bridge
ana ends at the suburbs Of the Tchina-P Pat
nam, near the subterranean temples of
Elore.
A1eeb ran as man who had either bust
ness OF pleasure TO attend to, although he
hsd mo no idea t s whatever Of doing any thing;