The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-04-02
TOOK THREE GIFTS
A Request That Surprised the
Sultan Abdul Hamid.
TALE OF 4 BADLY USED TURK.

A Truthful Account Of an Experience
at the Court Of the "lIiuminatcr o.
the Universe" That Reads Like a
Story Frcn, tho Arabian Nights.
Many fantastic stories are related CT
Abdul Hamid. the ex-sultan Of Tur,
key and his court The following.
however. came to me from reliable
source. writes contributor to Cham
berS' Journal and once when told
the story i'll company one Of my listen
ers told me that he personally knew il
to he true. 1t is worthy Of place
among Scheherazade's famous tales.
Not far from the sultans palace lived
certain Ahmed Rushdi Effendi, one
Of the hundreds Of clerks employed ut
the sublime porte Ahmeds duties
consisted of writing ornate official
communications to provincial Cover
norS For this he was supposed to re.
ceive salary of 2GD piaSters tabout
IS, per month If, 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
In comfortable circumstances He
owned his own house SO he had no
rent to pay. and he gave his leisure
that supplied his family with fruit
and vegetables the whole year ronnd
Ahmed Enrndi not being ambitious
was Il contented man
In bis peaceful household there was
only enc liScordant note The cause
was a dwarf peach tree III Ahmed's
garden that bore every year six or
eight mammoth peaches Early in his
married life his wife dreamed that hci
husband wonld 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 IN 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. y"
But Ahmed would 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 Welded to his wife's importantly
and carried the beautiful fruit to the
palace There he entrusted the peach
es to the grand chamberlain. who.
knowing the sultan's fondness for
fruit, promptly carried them into the
presence OF the illumination 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.
it happened that the reception room
where the scribe awaited the pleasure
Of the sovereign was filed with Il
band of suspected bomb throwers. and
Ahmed was presently hustled away
tc prison with the supposed revolu-
ed by the rough treatment of the
guards and could only stammer: Il
am the man who brought the peaches
| am the man who brought the
peaches
In prison he soon became known as
the man of the peaches" and was
looked upon as a harmless lunatic
After many months the suspected
bomb throwerS. including Ahmed
were brought before the crimina:
court. He told his story to the judge
and asked that the grand chamberlain
be called to confirm his words. The
judge granted his request and WAS
greatly surprised when the dignitary
told of the arrival Of Ahmed ut the
palace some months ago and of his
mysterious disappearance. The chain
beriain took the afflicted scribe to his
own suit in the palace and went to ca
plain matters to the sultan
The sultan. sincerely sorry for the
unlucky mistake. commanded the
chamberlain to promise Ahmed that
any wish OF his should be fulfilled.
Ahmed replied that he would accept
not one. but three gifts, aud that he
must name them to the sultan per
SOnally The sultan was much con
cerned and ordered the scribe ,shertti
into his private study.
Sire" said Ahmed. Il ask for a
Ratchet the sum of 200 piasters and
a copy of the Koran
Your desire is granted answered
the sultan. ''on condition that you tx
plain the meaning OF your singular
request"
Sire replied our hero with the
200 piasteTs shall obtain Il divurr,
from my wife the original cause OF
all my trouble: with the Ratchet II,
tend to cut down my peach tree. and
upon the Koran wish to swear an
oath never tc enter the palace gates
again SO long as live
lit ,g