Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-19
ASSARKHADON, KING OF AS
SYRIA.

1 " MA.
| The Assyrian King Assarkhadon con-
quered the kingdom of King ,1ai!ie, de-
stroyed and burnt all the towns, took all
! the inhabitants captive to his own country,
slaughtered the warriors and kept King
Lailie himself in a cage.
Lying on his bed at night King Assark-
hadon thought how best to execute Lailie,
when suddenly he heard a rustling near
! his bed. and opening his eyes, saw an old
man with a long gray beard and mild eyes.
| You wish to execute Lailie?" asked the
| old man.
Yes" said the king; but I cannot de-
| eide how to execute him
| But Laiie is yourself said the old man.
That's not true replied the king. L am
| I. and Laie is Lailie.
You and Lailie are one" said the old
man. 1T only seems to You that you are
| not Lailie and that Laile is not you
| What do you mean by it only seems p
said the king. Here am /, lying on a soft
| bed around me obedient men slaves
| and women slaves. and tomorrow I shall
| feast with my friends as / did today, while
| I4ailie will sit like bird in cage, and to-
| morrow he will be impaled. and with his
| tongue hanging out, will wliggle till he dies.
| and his body will be torn to pieces by
dogs"
You cannot destroy his life" said the
old man.
And how about the 1860 warriors
killed and with whose bodies ! built
mound?" said the king. II am alive, but
they no longer exist; that shows that l
destroy life"
How do you know they no longer exist?''
Because l do not see them; and the chief
thing is that they were tormented, hut
was not. 1t was bad for them, but well
for me-"
That also only seems so to you. You
tortured yourself, but rot them
Il do not understand said the king.
do you wish to understand
Yes l wish to-
Then come here" said the old man,
| pointing to large font full of water.
| The KING arose and approached the font.
| strip and enter the font
! Assarkhadon did the old man babe
| him.
Now, as soon as l begin to pour this
| water over you" said the old man. scoop
! ing up water into jug, dip your head I'M
| der water"
The old man tilted the jug over the kings
! head, and the king dipped his head under
/ water.
| And as soon as King Assirkhadon dipped
| under water he felt that he was on longer
| Ass 1rkhadon but some one else. And feel
! ing himself to be that other man. he saw
| himself lying on a rich bed. beside a hand
| some woman. He had never seen her be-
| fore, but he knew she was his wife. The
! woman lifted herself and said TO him:
| Dear husband L&ile, You were tired by
! yesterdays work and have slept longer
| than usual. and l 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. understa nding from
| these words that he is Lailie, and not feel
| ing at all surprised al this. but only Won
dering that he did not know 1t before
| rises, dresses and goes into the great hall
! where the princes await him.
! The princes greet their king Lail G. lowing
! to the ground. ana then they rise and st
| his word sit down before him; and the
| eldest of the princes begins 30 speak and
| says that it is impossible. longer 10 endure
| all the insults of the wicked King Assark-
! hadoa. and that ii is necessary to make
| war on him. Bat iaile disaEi',es with
: him. and gives orders that env)ys shall be
! sent to Assarkhadcn 10 remoastrfte with
/ him and he dismisses the princes from the
audience. Aftcrward he appoints men Of
| note to act as ambassadors. and imprasSes
on them what they are to say 10 King AS
! Sarkhadon.
/ Having finished this business Assarkha-
! don. feeling that he is L.ailie. rides out to
| hunt wild asses. Tie hunt is successful.
/ He Kills two wild asses himself and hay-
ing returned home. feasts with his friends
and watches a dance of slave girls. The
! next day lac goes into the court yard where
| he is awaited by petitioners. suitors and
| prisoners brought for trial and there he
/ decides the cases submitted to him Hay-
! ing finished this business he again rides out
| for his faVorite amuSement--huntino AnI
again he is successful: this time personaliv
| killing am old lioness and taking her two
| cubs After the hunt lie 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
the return of the anbas doris he had sent
| TO that King ASA rkhadon who used IN Inc
| himself. The ambassadors only return
after a month has passed, and they return
with their noses and ears cut off
King Assarkhadon had ordered them To
tell Laihe that what had been done 10
| them-his ambassadors be done 70
him also. unless he Immediately sent n
| 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 10 attack them. The king agrees
and taking his place at the head Of the
army. he starts on the clrnpaien The
campaign lasts seven days Each day tho
king rides around the army and rotses the
courage of his warriors. On the eight, flav
his army meets Assarkhadon's army in !,
broad valley, by the side Of a river Jail;e.s
army fights bravely. but Lailie. formerly
I Assarkhadon. sees that the enemy swarm
down from the mountains like ants over
| running the valley and overwhelming HIS
army. and. In his chariot, he filings himself
into the midst of the battle, hewing and
| telling the enemy But the warriors Of
Lailie are but hundreds, while those of
ASSarkh2don are aa thousands: and Tailte