The Washington critic., 1889-01-23
A SKULL HEAVIER THAN GOLD.


Our forefathers have told us, gentle
men, said the Afghan chief, that when
the great Sultan Secundur Rumi ALEX
ander the GreaD reigned over all king
doms he and his warriors, as they
marched through these mountains, came
suddenly upon clear river, the sweet
ness of whose waters was such that they
all wandered at it. having never tasted
the like before.
Then mountain shepherd told them
that this river was no earthly water, but
flowed from the garden of paradise, and
that no man could find the way thither,
for Allah had hidden 1t forever from the
eyes of men behind the SHOWS of the
eternal mountains.
But when the great sultan heard that
he was angry, and vowed that he would
find that hidden paradise. and never stop
seeking it till he did. SO he picked out
q chosen band Of warriors from his army,
and with them he set forth.
But evil followed his steps, and 1t went
| i'll with him and with his men. Very
few and weary were they who stood by
Secundur's side when he came at length
to the source of that strange river, aud
they saw that IL flowed from beneath
vast golden gate, which stood between
two mighty rocks.
Then Secundur knew that this could be
nothing else than the gate Of paradise,
and he went boldly up to it and beat
upon 1t with the hilt of his sword,
Then there came voice from within
the gate-a voice mighty as thunder, yet
sweet as the softest music-and it said:
whoever thou art, there is no entrance
for thee here; this is the gate Of the
Lord"
81 am the lord of the whole earth, 4"
answered Secundur. proudly; what lord
is greater than II"
"The Lord of heaven" replied the
voice. ''Begone, for thou canst not enter
here"
Then was Sultan Secundur exceedingly
angry. At length he said:
"If l may not enter, give me at least
some token to show to my people"
Then there came sound like the low
laughter of an infinite multitude, and
suddenly small packet was cast forth,
which fell at Secundur's feet.
Here is thy token, madman," said
the voice; 1T will teach thee wisdom if
thou canst be taught"
And Secundur took up the packet, but
he staid not to open it, for great fear
fell upon him, and he hastened to leave
that place of death. And so he Jour-
neyed for many days, till at last he got
back 10 his army.
Then ut last he bethought himself OF
the packet, and made haste TO open it,
but low there was nothing within save
piece of human skull, and Secundur
thinking that he was Knocked, flung il
upon the ground in rage.
But certain wise man stepped for.
ward and said:
"Despise not this gift, oh, king, fol
although it may seem worthless, yet il
will outweigh much gold. Bid thy peo
pie bring pair of scales, and fill one Of
them with gold, and put this skull in
the other"
Then Secundur commanded that il
should be done as the sage had said, and
Immediately the scale which held tho
gold flew aloft as if it had been empty
while that which held the skull sunk
well nigh to the ground. More gold was
added, and more, and yet more, but the
larger grew the heap of gold, the higher
rose the scale, and the lower sunk tina
which held the skull.
"Amazing!" cried Secundur. "whc
, would ever have believed that this small
| piCCC VI DohC Couiei ouSh q mus
.. of solid gold2'
"Wonderest thou, oh, king" cried tn
sage. "Thou shalt see greater marve
. than this"
, And scooping up handful of dust, h
covered the skull with it, and Instant,
the scale flew up, while that which hell
the gold sunk down.
What means this wonder?" cried tn
sultan.
"Know, then, oh, king" answered tn
wise man. that this skull once held al
, eye which coveted all it saw, and tn,
/ more gold it had the more it craved, TO
, its desires were boundless as thine own
, But when once it was laid in the grav
/, and covered with little dust, all tn
1 treasures of the earth were nothing to it
t Such is the lesson, oh, king, which thi
a gift was meant to teach thee"