The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-09-29


''Hearing this, the lion was at the limit
of astonishment and observed 'It is
shameful of thee to speak thus, O horse,
noble and vigorous as thou art, about n
miserable being thou couldst surely dis
patch with one kick. Look at me. | am
not so big as thou, but | have promised
the goose here to rid the earth forever Of
this ridiculous tyrant, lbn-Adam, by eating
him up entirely To this the horse made
answer Far be from thee such unto
ward thought, o jungle prince Make
no mistake about thy strength and swift
ness or mine in dealing with man. In his
hands my vigor is as water He fastens
heel ropes upon my hoofs and ties my muz-
zle up to ring upon the wall so that
can neither run away nor lie down. Then
he bitches a saddle on me with two strong
girths and puts twisted metal bit in my
mouth with bride that makes me 60
where he will, and, being so mounted, he
forces me hither and thither with horrid
things called spurs that cover my body
with blood When | am old and weak,
he means to sell me to some miller, who
will make me turn the millstones night and
day until | drop. Then the knacker will
kill me and bargain my skin away to the
tanners and my long hair to the weaves
who make ropes and bags That is why
l am flying AWAY from Ibn-Adam.
''The young lion was greatly affected al
this and roared out aloud 1T is time
indeed that | cleared the earth from such
scourge Tell me, friend horse, where
can | find this thing, man 2 and the
hoIse replied Il ran away from him at
noon He is coming this way. Have {
care 7 Just as the horse was speaking 6
new cloud of dust in the desert so alarmed
him that he went off at sudden bound
and we saw approaching huge camel with
long legs and swaying neck, uttering hoarst
grumbliugs. And he, too, told his tale Of
the terrible Ibn- Adam and fled away like
the rest.
'Then all of sudden there came oui
of the thicket little old man with cum
ming eyes and weather beaten aspect, car
rying over his shoulder basket of carpen
ter's tools and OIL his head eight or ter
large planks of wood
"My lord peacock and my lady peahen
At sight of this [, the goose, could no
utter word to warn the lion, but wa!
struck dumb with fear. He meanwhile
vastly amused at the appearance of thi
small, withered being, stalked nearer Il
examine him, whereon the carpenter huns
himself fat and said in humble, depre
eating voice 20 mighty prince and mos
famous, who dost fill the highest place o
all created things, | wish thee good da,
and the blessings of Allah. ! myself an
poor creature who entreats thy protec
tion from the evils of the oppressor.
Herewith he began piteously to sigh an(
weep.
Touched by his tears, the young liol
lowered his proud tone and asked: Who
then, hath oppressed thee, most polite anC
best spoken of all animals, even thougl
thou art certainly the ugliest? 2
ssThe other answered Lord of al
woodland things, am poor beast that i
called carpenter, and my oppressor is Ibn
Adam. All, my lord lion, Allah keel
thee from his tricks He makes me worl
all day long without pay, and now, dyin!
with hunger, / am gladly runniag ava,
from the place where he lives.
''On this the lion was more furious thai
ever The foam fell from his mouth, hi,
eyes flashed lightning, and he roare'
loundly, Where then is this Ibn- Adam
this father of calamities, that may smasl
and crush him and avenge his victims ?
The man answered Sire, thou wilt sool
see him. He is now after me, furious a
having no one to build him houses. Tn
lion said % little beast that goes so il
on thy two foolish feet and art called car
penter What are houses and whithe
dost thou wend?' The man replied, a
house is for rich ones to live in, grea
prince, and l am now going with thi
basket and these planks to build hous
for the wuzeer of my lords father, tn
leopard, who desires to have an abod
where he may shelter himself from Ibn
Adam, who is expected in these parts.
'sThereon the young lion waxed jealou
of the leopard and said to the carpenter
by my life, it is an extreme presumption
on the part Of thy fathers wuzeer to built
himself house when we have none Ge
thee to work at once and construct me her,
this abode. As for the wuzeer, let hin
wait 7 MY lord, the carpenter answer.
ed, Il promise to come back when thu
leopard order is finished. His anger vii
otherwise be too terrible. And then vii
build thee not indeed house, but &
palace But the young lion being impa-
tient did but pat the man on the breast
with his great paw, and down he went on
the sand with his planks and basket
Thereat the lion shook his great fanks with
laughter, seeing the terror of the miserable
little fellow, who had picked himself up
and began to get to work full gloomily,
though this was just what he wanted and
for which he had in truth come.
"Right carefully did the carpenter take
the measure of the lion in length and
breadth and in height, and soon he had
erected on the sand solidly built box with
narrow entrance. He had so driven the
nails that the sharp points all came through
inside, and he had left few small holes
for draft, all which being finished he re-
spectfully invited the lion to go in. The
lion objected that the door was too low,
Quoth the carpenter: Bend down thy
princely back, o sovereign master, and so
enter Once inside my lord will find room
enough. On this the lion crouched and
wriggled his body within the construction;
leaving his tail outside, but this the car
penter quickly curled up and stuffed in
along with the rest of him, afterward hast
lily closing the door with a plank and nail
ipo H. down