New-York tribune., 1917-12-16

The story Of "Marouf" is as follows

I Merchant ss
Conductor. Pierre MonteuE.
The story Of "Marouf" is as follows
Marouf. the Cobbler of Cairo, ac'
cording TO the veracious Princess
Scbeherazade of the Arabian Nights
Tales. was most unfortunate in his
domestic affairs. His wife not only
was ill-favored, but of most ex-
asperating disposition. When she de-
nanded rice cake sweetened with
honey and, thanks to his friend the
Pastry Cook, Marouf offered her some
sweetened with cane sugar instead, the
v;von few into a rage and ran oil TO
tell the Cadi that her husband had
beaten her. Taking the lady's word
for il. the Cadi has the cobbler well
thrashed by the police in spite OF the
protests of the neighbors, who sym
pathize with the luckless husband.
Humiliated and disguised with his lot,
Marouf decides TO disappear, and,
when a party Of sailors pass by on
their way to the sea, he gladly bids
goodby to his shop and joins the com
pany.
A tempest wrecks the ship on which
J Marouf has embarked. But, as Fate
would have it, he alSne is saved, and
next we find him in the great city OF
/ Khaitan, somewhere between China
and Morocco" He has been picked up
on the shore by his old friend Ali,
whom he had not seen for twenty
years, and who meanwhile has be-
come very rich. Taking pity on
/ Marouf, he decides to give him a good
/ time for once at least in his life. So
/ ne presents the cobbler 20 his fellow
citizens as the richest merchant in
/ the world who has wonderful cara
van on the way. AS such Marouf is
accepted, so that even the Sultan. in
spite of the misgivings Of the Yizier,
is deceived. Marouf is invited to the
palace and received with almost royal
honors. The Sultan is looking for
just such 4 son-in-law and hastens to
offer him his beautiful daughter
For forty days Marouf lives with
his wife a life Of luxurious delight.
His word is law in the palace, and the
expenditures he orders soon empty the
Sultan's treasury But his majesty
needless of his Vizier's warnings and
doubts, consoles himself with the
thought that the promised caravan OF
Marouf must soon arrive, and then the
treasury will be more than replenished
At last, questioned by the Princess
herself, Marouf confesses the truth, the
absurdity Of which impresses both as a
great joke Their merriment is sud-
denly checked by the thought of the
possible fate of the deceivers. The
Princess, who really has fallen in love
with Marouf for himself and not fol-
his imaginary riches, suggests his
flight. But he cannot bear the though,
Of separation from her, and she at once
agrees TO flee with him, Disgusting her.
self as a boy.
Marouf and the Princess are next dis
covered on an oasis in the desert, where
they find shelter in the hut of poor
peasant. The cobbler seeks to repay
his host by taking a turn at his plough
Presently the implement strikes an iron
ring. 1t is.attached to the covering OF
a subterranean chamber. II has also a
magic power. Upon the Princess rub.
bing it the poor peasant is transformed
into geni, who offers his services tc
the astonished pair and diseloses a hid.
den treasure of incalculable value. The
denouement is evident. Along come the
Sultan and his guard In pursuit of the
fugitives. The latter are about TO be
dealt with severely when what should
be heard but the sounds of an an.
Marouf, thanks TO the Geni of the Ring
Amazement and apologies are in order
Marouf rises to the unexpected, un.
dreamed-of, occasion. The Cobbler tri.
umphs; the Princess is happy; in fact
everybody is happy but the skeptiC
Vizler, who pleads for pardon from
Marouf and is lucky to escape with
only hundred wallops.
Henri Rabaud, the composer Of
"Marouf," is fifty-two years of age. a
Partisan by birth and the son OF a pro
fessor OF the Ccnseryatoire. Of which
he is a graduate. His second and latest
symphony has recently been heard in
New York. A string quartet Is also
credited to him. in addition to other
smaller works and an opera, la File
dc Roland" which was given several