The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-01-30
TOOK THREE Gifts
A Request That Surprised The
Sultan Abdul Hamid.
TALE OF A BADLY USED TURK.
A Truthful Account Of an Experience
at the Court Of the "lIIun,inator Of
the Universe" That Reads Like q
Story From the Arabian Nights.


the Universe" That Reads Like a
Story From the Arabian Nights.
Many fantastic stories are related of
Abdul Hamid. the ex-sultan Of Tur-
key. and his court The following.
however. came to me from a reliable
source. writes contributor to Cham
bers' Journal. and once when I told
the story Ia company one of my listen
ers told me that he personally knew II
to be true. 1t Is worthy Of a place
among Scheherazade's famous tales.
Not far from the sultan's palace lived
q certain Ahmed Rushdi Edendi. one
Of the hundreds Of clerks employed at
the sublime porte. Ahmed's duties
consisted Of writing ornate official
communications to provincial COVER
nors. For this he was supposed to re-
ceive a salary Of 2OO piasters tabout
s., per month. II. however. he receiv
ed this salary six times year he
thought himself lucky.
Compared to many Of his colleagues
In the government Offices, Ahmed was
I'm comfortable circumstances. He
owned his own house. SO he had no
rent to pay. and he gave his leisure
time to cultivating the tiny garden
that supplied his family with fruit
and vegetables the whole year round.
Ahmed Effendi. not being ambitious.
was cOntented man.
In his peaceful household there was
only one discordant note. The cause
was a dwarf peach tree in Ahmed's
garden that bore every year six or
eight mammoth peaches. Early in his
married life his wife dreamed that her
husband would one day attain emf
hence and that the peaches were con-
nected with his fortune.
Fifty times each year she urged him
to take the peaches as an Offering to
the sultan. I'VE are simple people"
she would say. Such magnificent
peaches are not for us. Carry them.
pray thee. to the palace and present
them to the benefactOr OF the world"
But Ahmed WOulu reply.
wife. no good comes to those who
have relations with the palace. !. who
have always been discreet. do not wish
to fall under suspicion"
But at last. after twenty years. All
med yielded to his wife's importantly
and carried the beautiful fruit to the
palace There be entrusted the peach
es to the grand chamberlain. who.
knowing the sultan's fOndness for
fruit. promptly carried them into the
presence of the llluminatOr Of the Uni
verse. The sultan graciOusly accept
ed the gift and commanded Ahmed to
wait until he was at liberty In order
that he might himself thank the grow
er of such splendid fruit.
1t happened that the reception room
where the scribe awaited the pleasure
Of the sovereign was Glled with
band of suspected bomb throwers. and
Ahmed was presently hustled away
10 prison with the supposed reyolu-
-ionaries He was thoroughly cOnfus-
ed by the rough treatment OF the
guards and could only stammer: II
IN the man who brought the peaches
am the man who brought the
peaches"
In prison he soon became known ms
the man OF the peaches" and was
ooked upon as harmless luDatic
After many months the suspected
bomb thrOwers. including Ahmed
we're brought before the criminal
court. lie told his story to the judge
nd asked that the grand chamberlain
De called 10 confirm his words. The
nudge granted his request and WAS
greatly surprised when the dignitary
old Of the arrival OF Ahmed at the
palace soule months ago aud OF his
Mysterious disappearance. The cham
,erlain took the afflicted scribe to bis
'wn suit in the palace aud went 10 eX'
plain matters 10 tue sultan.
The sultan. sincerely sorry for She
inlucky mistake. commanded the
10 promise Ahmed that
my wish OF his should be fulfilled.
Ahmed replied that he wonld accept
not one. but three gifts. and that he
must name them 10 the suitap per
'onally. The sultan was much con
'erned and ordered the. scribe ushered
nto his private study.
"Sire" said Ahmed III ask for A