The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-06
THE SLUGGkRD
Can Algerian Lesebd.)


zens by common consent had given al
nickname of the Slug3ard
You must know mat the Moors Of Al
geria,. and especially those of Biidah, ar
the LATEST people on earth-no doubt be
cause of the heavy scent of orange anc
lemon blossoms with which the air j:
laden But in point of laziness and uttel
indifference not another man in the towI
was O. match for Sill Lakdar. This worthy
gentleman had raised his vice TO the dig
kitty of a profession. Other men Were
smbroiderers, innkeepe-s, grocers; Sd
Gaadar was simply a s.uggard.
AT his father death he had inherited q
little garden under the city ramparts
with dilapidated low white walls, a gate
that was overgrown with bushes, and
would not shut, a few banana plants
and a couple of rivulets sparkling amid
the heritage Here he passed his days, ~
ing at full length on the grass, silent
mot;onless. with his beard full OF red ans
When he was hungry he stretched out
his arm and picked up fallen and broken
banana or a fig from the grass by his
side. He would have starved rather than
rise to pluck food from the trees. SO
the ngs in his garden rotted where they
grew and the trees were always full Of
birds
This monumental laziness had made
Lakdar very popular throughout the dis
trtct. He was venerated as a saint. The
ladies' of the City, riding out to the ceme-
terry TO mourn and eat sweetmeats, refined
In their mules and whispered beneath
their white wells as they passed his little
enclosure. Men bowed their heads rev.
erently and every day after school was
out boys in red caps and striped silk
vests perched themselves in rows on his
walls for the purpose of ruffling his idyl-
lie laZiness. They shouted at Lakdar
laughed frolicked, and even threw orange
peel at him. 1t was a waste of energy
The Sluggard did not bulge. From time
to time voice would be heard in the
grass, crying: Take care, If l get up"
But he never did get up. Now it came to
pass one day that one of the little scamrs
who had come to play his tricks on the
Siusgard was in some sore touched with
compassion and, suddenly conceiving a
taste for horizontal existence. told his
father next morning that he would not go
to school any more and that he wished to
become a sluggard. ..You slugger.' ex-
claimed the father, an honest pipestem
turner, industrious as bee and always
seated at his lathe when the cock crew
You a sluggaTd That is a fine idear
Yes. father, L wish to become d slug
gard like Sidi Lakdar'
Never. my boy. You shall be a turner
like your father, or clerk at the Cadi's
court, like your Uncle Ali. | will never
make a sluggard of you. Go to school
this instant or | will break this fine cher
fy pipestem over your back Be off, You
BOBBY"
1 nthe face of the rod the boy insisted
no longer, and pretended TO be convinced
or his folly; but instead of going TO school
he entered Moorish bazaar. hid between
two piles of Smyrna rugs in shop win
DOW, and stayed there all day stretched
out on his back. gazing at the Moorish
lanterns, beautiful blue purses and gilt
tering gilded cuirasses. and inhaIing the
pungent perfume Of altar rose mingled |
with that of woollen burnouses heated
by the sun. Thenceforth he passed all
his school time in this way. After few
days his father got wind of the thing. He
scolded, stormed, took the name of Allah
In vain. and bella bored the lad with all the
shop; but all to effect. The boy obsti-
nateiy repeated. Il want to be a slug
gard; l will be sluggard,' and he was
always to be found lying down in some
nook or other
Tired of the struggle, the father. after
consulting Uncle Ali, decided upon a plan
Of action
See here he said 90 his SON Since
nothing will content you but TO be a slug
gard, l will take you to Sidi Lakdar He
VIII examine you, and, if you show a real /
aptitude for his profession. l will beg him |
to keep you with him as an apprentice"
That suits me- said the boy So. not |
later than the morrow. scented with YER
vain, and with heads freshly shaver. they 4
went together To seek the Sluggard in his /
little garden
The gate was open, as usual The visi-
tors entered without knocking. but as the
grass grew very high and thick they had
some difficulty in discovering the lord of
the monor. At last. however. they saw.
lying under the fig trees at the back of I
the garden, half hidden by weeds and /
swarms of little birds. a bundle of yellow /
rags, which emitted grunt by way of /
greeting
Allah be with you. Sidi Lakdar,'' said
the father, bowling low. with his hands
crossed on his breast
Here is my son. who insists on becom-
Ing sluggard l have brought him to
you i'm order that you may examine him
and see if he has the requisite talents If
so, beg you TO take him as an appren-
tice. ! will pay what is proper
Sid Lakdar. without replying invited
them by signs to sit down beside him on
the grass. The father sat down. but the
son lay down, which Was IN itself a very
good augury. And all three stared at
each other in silence.
1t was high noon: the heat and glare Of
the sun were intense. The little garden
and everything in IT seemed to oe asleep
No sound was heard except the swapping
OF wild broom pods in the sun. the rip :
ping OF the brooks through the grass
and Tapping. like the opening and shut
ting OF a fan. of the wings of birds fly
ing lazily among the frees. Now and
then an overrfpe fig detached itself and
dropped from branch to branch until ii
reached the ground.
Then Sid Lakdsr put forth his hand
YEARLY. like one fatigued. and conveyed
the fruit To his mouth But the boy did
rot even make this slight exertion. Fine.
large figs fell all around him. bur he never
so much as turned his head. The paster
slugard observed this ma znidcent fa5o-
Hence with the corner Of his eye but re-