The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-03-31
THIS is THE OLDEST
STORY IN THE WORLD

Therein were $50 sailors, of the best In
Egypt. They looked on the sky, they
looked on the land, and their hearts
were stouter than those Of lions.
They foretold a storm before It had
come; and foul weather when AZ yet It
was not. Every one Of them was stout
er OF heart, and stronger Of arm, than
his fellow; there was no foolish one
among them. The storm broke while
we were upon the sea, before we could
clamorous sound. and brought with IL
wave OF eight cIbits. There was .
piece OF wood, against which struck:
but the ship persisted; al to those
that were therein. not one Of ths9
was remaining but myself, and ~
here am beside thee. I was brought
to this island by a wave Of the sea-
little one. grieve not that thou art
come to me. See. God has caused
thee to live. He has brought thee to
this island Of the Soul. There exists
nothing that is not in It; 1t IL filled
with all good things. Behold now,
thou wilt spend month upon month
until thou .S hast fulfilled four , months ,
q ship from the Capital, and therein
sailors that will be known to thee.
Thou wilt depart with them to the Cap
ital. and thou wilt die In thine own
city.
How glad il he who relates what he
has observed, having passed (safelyD
by perilous things. I will recount -
upon this island. Now lived upon It
with my brethren; and children were
among them. We were In all seventy
and five serpents, with my children and
my brethren. I make no mention to
thee Of a young girl brought to me
by good fortune.
"A star fell and these were con-
that was not near; they were burned,
but was not among them. I would
have died for them. when found
them as a single heap of corpses. But
thou, IL thou be brave, and master
thy heart. thou shalt embrace thy chill
dren. thou shalt kiss thy wife, thou
shalt see thy house; and these are the
the capital. and dwell therein in the
midst Of thy brethren"
I said to him: II shall tell the king
Of thy might, and make him to be
aware of thy greatness. I shall cause
to be brought unto thee fine oils and
choice perfumes. and the incense of the
temples, whereby every God Is glad
have befallen me, and what have seen
through his might. God will be praised
for thee in the city, before the officials
Of the whole land.
IT shall slaughter oxen for a burnt
Offering for thee, and pluck birds for
thee. I shall cause to be brought to
the ships laden with all costly things
Of Egypt, as should be done for a God
who loves men In a far country, and
whom man know not
Then he laughed at me, and at what
I had said as thing foolish In his
heart. He said to me: "Oh, myrrh
hast thou not much; all that thou hast
Is but common incense. But know that
am the Prince Of Arabia, and the
myrrh therein Is mine. And that oil
which thou saidest should be brought
is the chief thing Of this island. And
IL thou depart from this place thou
will never more see this island; 1t will
change into waves"
That ship came as he had at first
foretold, walked away and climbed
a high tree and recognized those that
were within it. I went then to an
nounce 1t. but found him aware there
OF. He said to me: Farewell, fare
well, little one. to thy house, and see
thy children. Cause my name to be
good In thy city; see, that is all de-
sire Of thee!"
cast myself on my stomach, with
my arms from before him. And he
gave me q sh1pload or myrrh, nne oil,
divers perfume, eye paint, the tails of
giraffes, a great sack Of incense, the
tusks of elephants, greyhounds, mon,
keys. apes and all manner Of good and
costly things.
loaded that ship with them. When
cast myself upon my stomach to
thank him. he said to me: "See. thou
wilt reach the capital in two months,
thou will embrace thy children, thou
wilt grow young again at the capital.
and thou wilt be buried" went down
to the shore. where that ship was,
and called to the warriors who were
in the ship.
We voyaged, sailing northwards, to-
Ward the capital Of the king, and ar
rived at the capital In two months,
exactly as he had said. entered the
presence of the king and took to him
those gifts which I had brought to the
capital from this island. He thanked
me before the officials Of the whole
land. was made a bodyguard, and
some of his slaves were given into my
possession. Look on me, who reached
home after what lad seen and ex-
perienced. Hearken to me; behold, II
Is good for men to hearken!
He said to me: do not pay the
wise man, my friend. Giveth one water
to bird the day before, when ons
kflleth II in the morninp 2S