The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-13

Sir Edwin Arnold says in the Daily
Telegraph: From the beginning and in
all ages people Of every sort have loved
stories about animals, and especially
when the creatures themselves converse.
What else makes the secret and most
attractive charm of Mr.. Rudyard Kip
lings Jungle Books and what else causes
one Of our poets with such impatient
faith to exclaim:
1 shall not ask Jean Jacques Rousseau
If birds confabulate or no?
Scheherezade herself, in ''The Thousand
and One Nights" does not hesitate to
interrupt the flow of her romantic and
fantastic tales with some remarkable
stories about animals, though these sell
dom or never are given In the current
versions of the book. On the 146th night
of the immortal work she says to the
sultan and to her sister Donyazade. eff
you have 1mired the history of King
Omar-el-Neman, how much would you
not like to hear the birds and beasts dis
courser by Allah! cries the sultan.
THAT would be truly delightful" and SO
the inexhaustible reconteuse Of 1.-The
Thousand and One Nights" tells an en-
tertainiLg story of the wilderness. which Is
perhaps as old as anything in ''Lolman"
Or 'Aesop," and may have given to La
Fontaine himself ideas, although by chan
nels unknown to the great Frenchman.
I will shorten one curious apologize of
the kind here, chiefly drawing from the
translation which DR.. Mardrus has made
of 1t in French out of the Arabic text.
Thus runs the antique Arab fable:
It came to me, o Lord of Fortune! how,
once on a time a peacock and peahen
We're living in peace and happiness on
a beautiful island. In lake apart from
all troubles. and the island was covered
with fruit trees and blossoms, and they
were very happy. But one day there
flew thither a wild goose in great trepi-
datlon, with futtering wings and wild
cries, to which the two birds bade kindly
welcome and asked the cause of its fright.
"Ah," whimpered the goose, 81 am still
sick with terror. I have seen man, an
Ibn-Adam! Allah, deliver us all from the
Ibn-Adam!"
Calm thyself," the peahen said. "Be
Ibn-Adam ever so terrible he cannot dis
turb US here, protected as we are by the
water"
Most beautiful lady" the goose re-
sponded, you do not know Ibn-Adam.
He can make the fish come to him, out Of
the sea and the hawks and eagles fall
down from the air. Feeble, Sontemptible,
ugly as he is, he can tame the huge ele-
phant himself and take his big white
tusks away to make cups and ornaments.
But I will tell you what have seen and
why I dread the Ibn-Adam.
L was still flying from the evil vision
had seen Of a man, not daring to stop
for food Or drink, when I saw at the en-
trance of a cavern a young hon. with a
red name, Of lordly demeanor, who also
observed me, and bade me approach, ask
ing my name. % Prince Of Lions
said. am a wild goose of the race Of
birds Why dost thou tremble so, wild
goose? he inquired. Then I related how
I had dreamed Of or seen living man,
and was astonished when he replied, I
also have dreamed about the thing you
call Ibn-Adam, and have heard my father
say that 1t Is a creature to be distrusted.
But I have never seen one and have no
fear Of them
Then I spake. oh, eldest son OF the
sultan Of all animals! what glory to thee
If thou could st rid the earth Of the plague
Of man! How would all creatures of the
earth, and air, and water, praise and
thank thy valorl' Thus did 1 encourage
and fatter the young lion until he had
resolved to go forth with me, and to find
and slay this common enemy.
LION HEARS THE ASS.
so the young Hon paced forth from
his cave, fercely lashEg his back with
his tail, I following behind. We had not
gone far in company before we saw a
cloud Of dust in the thicket, which, drift
ing away, disclosed to US an ass without
saddle or bride, rolling in the sand from
side to side, his four feet in the air.
AT sight Of this my young lion was
somewhat astonished, since he had wan
dered little outside his cavern, and knew
nothing of the world; but he called the
ass to him and said: Thou senseIcss
object. what art thou, and why do5t thou
in so foolish a manner roll and bray"
The beast replied: Noble masterl I am
thy slave an ass, and have fled hither
to escape Ibn-Adam, the man, my mas
ter The young Hon said with laugh:
Thou art long backed and lusty, why
shouldst thou fear that feeble thing,
man? Spal1e the donkey, gravely shak-
ing his head; Prince Of the Forest! It is
clear thou knowest not this creature.
do not fear that he will kill me; but he
does much worse to ME than that. While
I am Young and strong he places upon
my back q thing he calls pack-saddle,
1aStenS round my belly tight g1rthI puts
an iron ring under my tail, the name Of
which I forget, though it gals me hor-
ribIy, and buckles in my mouth con-
trivance of steel which makes my tongue
bleed, and is called a bit. Then lie jumps
on me. and, to make me go faster beats
me behind and before; and If, fatigued,
I slacken my pace. he rains upon me tie
abuse of such shocking words before all
the world that cause me, though 1 am
only donkey, actually to shudder II
] lie down and roll he also gives way to
expressions which I dare not repeat to
you being a prince. When I am old he
will sell me to some water carrier, who
will tie u wooden yoke on my back and
load me with skins and pitchers of water,
until at last even by patient strength
viii succumb, and l shall die. Then he
will throw my carcase to the dogs and
vultures. Do I not well. therefore, o
my lord, and thou, too, good goose! to
roll myself and rejoice at liberty, now
that, I am quit of Ibn-Adam?'
" Truly I said, this ass seems very
excusable,' and the lion was for taking
him as guide to find the man. But the
ass begged off, pleading that he wished
10 put a days Journey at least between
himself and his master; and so he went