The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-20

fortune something greatly more valuable.
Listen: The architect of the temples of
Flora was bitten by a serpent here at that
very place; the most illustrious of my an
cestors ofiiciated as chief bonZe in the tenn
pie of Willia-Karmia; hearing the cries of
the wounded man he rushed out to his res
cue, pounded seven leaves of Tody, the tree
of benefaction, on a sacred stone, applied
them on the mortal wound and healed it.
When the architect became a god he ap-
peared to mysancestor and said to him: L
have received from silva the power to grant
to you and your posterity any favor that
you or yours may ask from me once in
your life, either for yourself or for any one
else. Even II this favor was to carry the
nearest waterfall made out of a tear Of the
chaste silva in the middle OF the Tchultry
plain. l have asked nothing yet from the
glorious architect god. l know the gift he
has in reserve for me and put 1t as my
stake against your whole fortune"
Accepted ~ said Ajeeb, ''let us play"
Hearing the bonze's words, the elephant
Triarte moved his enormous head, shook
his ears and swung his trunk majestically
over the bonZe's head, then he resumed his
monumental position and fell again into
his eternal immobility.
''You see," said Dhealy, ''the architect
god has animated his work of granite for
q moment to corroborate my words"
Let us proceed" replied Ajeeb, bowling.
rhe servants had departed. They were
alone. Thus, no human eyes saw this
matchless combat that had only the gods
of India as witnesses. Ajeeb, by the grace
of Sursutee, became initiated at first sight
to the mysteries of the game. His mind,
warmed by the sun of Hindostan, exalted
itself at the fire of the victorious combina-
tions which take birth in the brain and
cause JOY to flow to the heart. Pushing
forward his ivory pieces it seemed to him
that the chess board was enlarging itself
more and more, and that either divine or
an Internal breath animated the figures
and gave them the stature and passions of
the human beings they represented. In his
delirium he believed he was present at the
battle of Rama and Ravana, immortalized
in poem that appears to have been writ
ten by the Sun in letters of pearl, between
CeylOn and the cape of Coromandel splen-
did theater of the war between the mons
tiers of Hindostan and their enemies.
The chess player felt himself equal to Au-
reng-Zeb: he fought for an empire, he
moved an army of giants with the tip OF
his finger; he shook the earth under the
coming into collision of powerful masses
of soldiers. He thought he heard around
him the praises of all the gods in marble
sculptured on the low reiiefs of the ten
temples of Flora.
The bonze, accustomed to conquer all his
adversaries, he who had checkmated his
colleagues of the Pagoda OF
Djagrenat, trembled with anger and aston
ishment at each of his defeats; and, some
times, seized with a holy respect he i'm
agined himself playing with the god
Wishnu, transformed into a chess player
in his eleventh incarnation. This idea
comforted him and forbade him from
breaking his head on the Group of the
of granite.
The sun set in the Bay of Bengal and the
life of Ajeeb would end with it at the mo-
ment when decisive checkmate gave him
a last victory. The now vanquished bonZe
PRAYED TO silva, and the architect god was
sent to him by the powerful god invoked
by Dhealy. He came down in an aureola
of azure and gold.
''BonZe Dhealy, what do want from the
blue god!" asked he.
Bonze Dhealy Intercepted his victor,
Ajeeb, who said:
1.-THE favor of remaining fifty years more
on this earth of delight" /
The bonze transmitted the request OF
Ajeeb to the god.
''Granted ~ replied the divine messenger
of silva, and he assembled towards heaven
to take his place under the palm trees of
the Garden Mendana. Immediately Ajeeb
felt life returning to his body and new
blood circulating in his veins; he kissed the
feet of bonze Dhealy and thanked fervent-
ly the architect god and silva.
Il see that you are great lover of life,"
said the bonze to his victor; what do you
intend to do during the half century of ex-
stence won by you!'
Il shall sleep to live in dreaming, and !
shall awake to play chess" answered
Ajeeb.
''You are right" said the bonze. GA
nan tired heartily needs only two things:
4 bed and chess board. y Translation
rom the French, in ". Y Graphic.