Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1902-04-19
April Fools Do.Y
in Literature.

confess it,
"Albubi wept and raved and cursed
his fate until at last his companion
said:
"'The Giaours call yesterday April
Fool 1t is our Feast of Franks. You
had forgotten l remembered. 70
teach you prudence took it from you.
Here it isl
$50, putting his hand into Albubi's
turban, where he had deposited 1t, he
proceeded to draw it forth. A look
of CONSERVATION, cry of astonishment
gave he forth
Its gone. It's gone Your gold is
gone
His comrade stared at him incredu-
ously; then angrily cried Do you
waste your foollshness on me! You
took my money. you confess. Where
is it?'
"I know not. | only know that
while you slept l took it from your
bosom and placed it in your turban.
Somebody has stolen it,
The other scoffed and sneered. The
Night of Franks, indeed! You yourself
stole it. You are thief. Where is it?
Give it to me or will take you before
the cadi'
"Biskoonah's remonstrances were in
vain. Albubi himself repaired to the
caliph, who on hearing his story sum
moned the other man and bade him
speak in his own behalf
While he looked not. said Bis
koonah, I poured a mild sleeping por-
tion into his coffee at the confeetion-
er's, and when it began to work |
softly took his purse and put it into
the fold of his turban. Further con
cerning 1t know nothing; unless it be
the two strangers that stopped us. as
| took him home, one of them asked
him the way; the other might then
have taken the money
You shall have it,, said Haroun.
You are right. 1t was taken from
you. My grand vizier has it.
1! Your Sacred Highness have
1t. | know nothing whatever about
it, demonstrated that officer.
Yes laughed Haroun, 1T is in
your chest. Go fetch it hitherr
THE officer did as he was bid and
returned open-mouthed, but full-hand-
ed and gave the money to its owner.
Count it, said Haroun. 1t was all
there
1t was the Feast Of Franks, as
Biskoonah hath said Haroun re-
marked. I remembered ii when
saw you through the confectioner's
shop window, taking your comrades
purse. We were the strangers who
met you afterward, and while my
yizier spoke | took the money from
the turban to teach you the lesson you
were teaching your friend. And let
us hereafter abstain from all such
tricks until the next year Arabian
Nights, 1002d Night.
Charles Dicklns could hardly have
omitted to make use of this date in
the calendar of comedy. His readers
will remember his references to April
l in his Christmas story:
Then there appeared before the ter
riied Scrooge the Ghost of Honest
Trade and Fair Dealing You have
mocked and insuted me- it said in
tones that made even the icy blood
of Scrooge run colder. 'Beguiling
yourself with the delusion that for
you every day in the year might
rightfully be an All Fools Day, you
laid your heavy hand upon the scales,
while you weighed out your moldy
-four to the hungry widow. And
sanded your sugar for the wretched
orphan. You sold your honest wares,
your mustard mixed with -four and
tumeric; and your coffee, made half
of burned peas and half of kernels Of
tinted plaster. You gave your hapless
customers glucose when they paid for
syrup, and syrup when they asked
for honey. Your weights were hollow;
your scales tipping always in your
favor and against your helpless miser-
able patrons. You mingled cheap
meal with your best family -four, and
your sweetmeats were colored with
deadly poisons. Worms always cud-
died at the core of your apples, and
even your water was adulterated with
chalk and a little milk Flies and
cockroaches not only grew fat on your
insect powder, but were poisoned by
feeding on your confectionery and
candies. You have fooled others, con-
cluded the Ghost, in terTorizlng tones
but most of all you have fooled your
self. You have been a fool not only
in April, but in May, June, July and
during all the other months of the