The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-11

 am in love with Cluster of Pearls. Stop such nonsensical talk" replied the good woman, and I will tell you what happened yesterday. The Caliph sent me a thousand pieces of gold" "I that Imaum and his friends were bas- tinadoed." 'They were," answered his mother, "and where were you all day yesterday"
 'I tell you I am the Caliph and was at tending to my duties." said Abou. Con- vinced that her son was quite mad his mother called in the neighbors and he was taken to a madhouse where, as he still persisted in declaring that he was Haroun Alraschid. the attendants beat him sorely. He was kept there for several days, and every day his poor mother went to sec him. At length Abou began to think that, possibly, he was not the Caliph, and when the attendants came to beat him again he said, Never mind. I was wrong; I am only Abou Hassan. I have been deceived by dream" So they let him out and he went home to resume his former mode of life. But many a time he dreamed of Cluster of Pearls
 One evening as he sat, as usual by the bridge head, he saw come by the same merchant whom he had invited to his house that fateful night whose next morn ing had transformed him into the Caliph. Abou had no intention of inviting this merchant again to his house, but the mer- chant accosted him and fairly insisted upon again becoming his guest. 'I will consent, said Abou, ''upon the condition that you swear by the name engraved upon the seal of Solomon that you will not permit your geni to make sport of me, for strange things happened to me after I had last entertained you" ''Well, be 1t so," replied the merchant with good-humored laugh. So they had dinner together ver. | pleasantly and when the wine was brought on the merchant said, Tt is a great pity that such a promising young man as you should lead a single life' An" sighed Abou, such wife as I de- sire T can never have; such reside only in l the palace of the Caliph."
 Leave that to me-, laughed the ds- guised Sultan. q warrant I will find you one to suit your fancy. Let us drink to her. They drank and the Caliph slipped another sleeping potion into Hassan's glass.
 | The next morning Abou awoke again | upon the state bed of the Caliph The musicians were playing, the great lords and the slaves in attendance and the rising sun gliding the domes and min arets of Bagdad. Alas" cried he, q | have fallen into the same dream I had before" They carried out the joke with Abou again for a while, but at | last the Caliph, who was listening out | side the door, could contain himself no longer, and, bursting into laugh put his head inside the room and cried out: "Abou, Abou Hassan, do you want to kill me with laughing?"
 1 The Sultain came in and at once a respectful silence fell upon the as- sembly. Abou comprehended all that had happened to him. "Ah," said he entertained you and you have caused
 
 and why did you disturb my reason in this manner?' Haroun Alraschild be- came grave and apologized for all. the trouble his little joke had brought upon Abou. But" said he, q can, per chance, make you some amends. I am the Caliph. Ask what thou wilt; I will grant you. Believe me, suffer to think that my pleasantry has worked you harm" o.
 Commander of the Faithful rel piled Abou. my sufferings are forgot has a share in them. The only favor ask Is to be permitted to visit you and admire your virtues" The first half of this sentence showed that Abou had pretty wit, and the second held that he was born courier. The Caliph ordered a rich robe to be brought for Abou, gave him a purse of a thousand pieces of gold, and appointed him to an office which allowed him to enter the palace at all times. Hassan, you may be sure, soon Wade his appearance at court again and the Caliph pre- sented him to his queen, zobiede. Among the ladies in attendance upon the queen whom should Abou see but Cluster of PearIs--that saucy beauty. Rut they called her by her real name = which was not so pretty as her as- suned one-that is. Nouzatalfaud. Ev- cry day now came to court our friend .,bou Commander of the Faithful" said the queen one day to her husband, l "can you not see that every time Has