The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-20


tortured yourself, but not them.
81 do not understand" sal the King.
do you wish to understand"
Eyes, / wish to-
Then come here" said the old man,
pointing to a large font full of water.
The King and approached the font.
strip and enter the font
Assarkhadon did as the old man babe
him.
Now. as soon as 1 begin to pour this
water over you" said the old man, scooping
up water into a jug. dip your head under
water"
The old man tilted the jug over the Kings
head. and the King dipped his head under
water.
And as soon as King Assarkhadon dipped
under water he felt that he was no longer
Assarkhadon, but some one else And feel
ing himself to be that other man, he saw
himself lying on a rich bed, beside hand
some women. He had never seen her be-
fore. but he knew she was his wife. The
woman lifted herself and said to him:
Dear husband Lailie. you were tired by
yesterdays work. ana have slept longer
than usual, and 1 have guarded your rest
and have not reused you. But now the
princes await you in the great hall. Dress
and go out to them"
And Assarkhadon. understanding from
these words that he is Lailie. and not feel
ing at all surprised at this. but only won
dering that he did not know it before, rises,
dresses and goes into the great hall, where
the princes await him.
The princes greet their king, Lailie, bow
ing to the ground. and then they rise, and
at his word sit down before him; and the
eldest Of the princes begins to speak, and
says that it is impossible longer to endure
all the insults of the wicked King Assark-
hadon, and that it is necessary to make war
on him. But Lailie disagrees with him. and
gives orders that ENJOYS shall be sent to
Assarkhadon to demonstrate with him, and
he dismisses the princes from the audience.
Afterwards he appoints men of note to act
as ambassadors, and impresses on them
what they are to say to King Assark-
hadon
Having finished this business, Assark-
hadon feeling that he is Lailie rides out to
hunt wild asses. The hunt is successful.
He kills two wild asses himself and having
returned home feasts with his friends and
watches dance of slave girls. The next
day he goes into the courtyard, where he is
awaited by petitioners, suitors and prisoners
brought for trial, and there he decides the
cases submitted to him. Having flushed this
business, he again rides out for his favorite
amusement-hunting. And again he is sue
cessful; this time personally killing an old
lioness and taking her two cubs. After the
hunt he again feasts with his friends and is
entertained with music and dances, and the
night he spends with the wife he loves.
So he lives for days and weeks. awaiting
- - A. L.. - -
to that King Assarkhadon. who used to be
himself. The ambassadors only returned
after a month has passed, and they return
with their noses and ears cut off.
King Assarkhadon' had ordered them to
tell Laile that what mad been done to them
his ambassadors-would be done to him
also unless he Immediately sent certain
tribute of silver, gold and cypress wood,
and unless he came himself to make obei-
sance to him.
Lailie, formerly Assarkhadon, again as
sembles the princes and consults them as
TO what he should do. They all, with one
accord, say that it is necessary to make
war against Assarkhadon, without waiting
for him to attack them The King agrees,
and. taking his place at the head of the
army, he starts on the campaign The
King rides around the army and rouses the
courage of his warriors.
On the eighth day his army meets AS
sarkhadon's army in broad valley by the
side of a river. Lailie's army fights brave
ly, but Lailie, formerly Assarkhadon, sees
that the enemy swarm down from the
mountains like ants, overrunning the val
ley and overwhelming his army; and in
his chariot he filings himself info tho midst
of the battle, hewing and telling the enemy.
But the warriors of Lailie are but as hum
dreds, while those of Assarkhadon are as
thousands; and Lailie feels that he is
wounded and that they have taken him
prisoner.
Nine days he, with other captives travels
bound and guarded by the warriors of AS
sarkhadon. On the tenth day he is brought
to Nineveh and placed in a cage. Lailie
suffers less from hunger and from his
wound than from shame and impotent
anger. He feels that he is unable to avenge
himself his enemy for all that he suf-
fers. The thing he can do is rot to
give his enemies the pleasure of seeing his
sufferings; and he firmly resolves to endure
courageously without a murmur, all they
can do to him.
For twenty days he sits In his cage await
ing execution He sees his relations and
friends led TO execution. He hears the
groans OF those who are executed. Some
have their hands and feet cut off, others
are flayed alive. but he shows neither dis
quiotude nor pity nor fear. He sees the
wife he loved bound and led away by the
eunuchs. He knows she is being taken as a
slave to Assarkhadon. And he bears that,
too, without a murmur.
But now, two executioners open his cage
door. and having strapped his arms tight
behind him. they lead him to the place of
execution. which is soaked with blood.
Lailie sees sharp stake dripping with
blood from which the corpse of one of his
friends has just been wrenched. and he un-
derstands that this has been done that the
stake may serve for his own execution.
Lailie is stripped of his clothes. He is
startled at the leanness of his once strong,
handsome body. The two executioners seize
that body by its,lean thighs: they lift him
up and are about to let him fall upon the
stake.
This Is death. destruction, thinks Lailie,
and. forgstful OF his decision to remain
bravely calm to the end, he sobs and prays
for mercy. But no one listens to him