The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-15
GALL RIGHTS REsERvED.]

a ginbri, the two-stringed tom-tom of the
country. 1his was Jellalli. the poet.
They had come to that part of the Sok ell
Foki which was Immediately beneath the
big house with the balcony, when Jellalli
stopped, waved his arm with large ges-
ture, and proceeded to address the people.
"Men of Fez,'' cried the little poet,
"behold the Taleb who knows what is
going on in heavenP'
The people laughed.
"Behold the son of old Larby's camel
driver. gho holds meetings with the an
gels in the hillsf'
The people laughed louder.
"Behold your Mahdi! Speak, o proph-
et why are you silent?"
The Mahdi drew himself up to his full
height and answered, EBalaam himself
was silent when his ass began to speak.
''The prophet is ungrateful," said the
little poet. "Look at the crowds I have
brought out to greet you. Have l hot
done wellg'
"You have indeed done well,' said the
Mahdi. "You have been less than a week
in this city, Jellalli, but you have lost no
time. You have made yourself the repu-
tation of the greatest liar ever known
here, and that's no little thing in Fee. .
The people laughed again.
$50 prophet is bird that fouls its
own nest said Jellalli. And then, as
by sudden thought, "But il you are a
prophet work us miracle
s'God no longer works miracles by his
prophets, % said the Mahdi.
"Aha! And why not?" said the poet.
because" said the Mahdi, 1.-THE devil
has begun to do so by his fools. -
The laughter of the people continued,
and the Maedi faced them fearlessly.
$50 on. ''he cried. 81 am not the first
prophet who has been laughed to scorn.
But all that you do this day in mockery
you win one day do in earnest"
$50 said Jellalli. with a knowing
look on the people about, we are to bow
tbe back to you as to king sent down
| from heavenT
Eyes. by Allah p said the Mahdi with
heat and dignity.
There was great laughter. The little
noet began to twang his ginbri and sing
a song of mock tribute.
EsOn a day that's to come
i Well all have to sing
| The praise and tie glory
Of Mohammed the king!
| The Mahdi listened unmoved, but when
.Jellalli had finished he answered, bitter
"On day that's to come
| Well see in the Inire
The tongue and the trunk
OF Jellalli, the liar!'
The laughter was now turned against
| GQ6 DO6U duu il0 WShb hhopAS0 W." ~ S~~>
crowd.
Otba, the Berber, crushed through.
"And what's your new doctrine, Mahdlr'
he asked.
sTo bend the knee to one God and serve
no false gods, said the Mahdl.
What false gods do we serve? We say
our prayers to Allah don't we2"
"That's all yon do tor Him." said the
Mahdi. "But what sdo you worshipi
| Dollars?"
Otba pretended to laugh. "And
women p he said. ALLOW that at least
we worship women.
| 'Then that's why you keep them
penned up in your harems,' said the
Mahdi, s'buying them like your Justice,
selling them like your honor, trading with
their beauty as you would tradei with
Paradise.
There was murmur of assent, and
Jonas, the Jew, who had been standing
on the skirts of the crowd, shouted over
the peoples head. "Don't listen to that
pestilent babbler. We thought him a
madman, dreamer, a man enchanted.
We were wrong. He is revolutionary,
bent on the ruin of our religion and our
laws. Don't you see his purpose? 1t is
to pluck down the Basha and the Sultan,
and turn the East into the West.''
| ITO be continued