The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-24
middle Of the door and thrown open.

Name of my mother!" exclaimed the
Wall TT Is Ahzab the Merchant!
It is the villain who hath presumed to |
make love to my daughteri o Allahi |
my daughter hath disgraced mel By |
the beard of the Prophet, can no more |
hold up my head among honest men!"
And he slapped his face and plucked |
his beard. and fell insensible upon the
floor. AS he did so 1 leaped from the |
box and would have. escaped. but two
blacks seized me; and the noise, orSthe
refreshing quality of the rose-water
with which the women We're sprinkling
him, revived the WALL who recovered.
fixing upon me terrible gaze.
20 thou dog!" he said; thou who
hast wrought my disgracei As thou
didst enter my house ip yonder box, in
yonder box shalt thou quit the world!
Cast him back again. fasten the box
with ropes, and throw it into the Nile
at nightfall," -~
1 was thrown into. the box; the lid
closed upon me. ropes bound about the
box, and the seal of the Wall affixed i
to It. Negroes carried it out, and threw
1t into some cellar. to await nightfall.
I became insensible. How long re-
nained so I know not. but L was
awakened by a knocking at the lid OF
the box. and the voice Of the Wall
spoke. saying:
Prepare to die. o wretch! for my
servants are about to convey thee to
the river and cast thee in! Thou dog!
who didst presume to raise thine eyes
to my daushteri-know that this is the
reward OF such malefactors; for as
suredly il thou escapest alive. thou
shalt wed Juilanar!"
| was borne down a long flight Of
NcAA
direction.
And, commended my soul to Allah
| as the box was swung to and fro and
hurled through theyair- With sound
| In my ears as of the shrieking of ten
| thousand efreets. I was plunged into
| the water,
| Far under the surface I. went and
| knew all the agonies of dissolution; but
the box was strongly and cunningly
made and rose again; then 1t began to
| I'LL and sink once more. and again eI
tasted Of the final pangs. Throughout
all this time, a strong current was
bearing the box along. and presently,
| as. for the f1ftieth occasion, I was seek
ing to die and to end my misery,
heard voices
/ 20 Anahi' cried, 'tif it be thy will,
grant that these persons whose voices
~
condition. and draw me forth"
4 Even ASST spoke, something stayed
the onward progress Of the box. It was
, a .fsherman's nett And the fishermen
began to draw me sinto the boat. I
praising Allah the while.
| But when they had the box upon the
edge of the boat. and heard my voice
proceeding from within, and saw the
Walls seal upon the Hd-"By the beard
| Of the Prophet" cried one. "this is
| sonSe evil CHM or magician whom the
| Wall hath imprisoned in this, chest
Allah avert the omen! Cast him backl"
A great groan issued from my bosom
as was consigned again to the Nile
Allah is great, and 1t was not writ
, ten that should perish in that man
ner. For another current now seized
upon the box. and just as I was on the
!. 1 point Of dissolution, cast 1t upon a pro-
jecting bank. where 1t was perceived
by a band of four robbers, who derived
a livelihood from plundering such ves-
| sells as lay unprotected in the river.
These waded out and dragged the box
: | ashore. / was too near my end to
d have spoken had desired to speak,
but my unfortunate adventure with the
| fishermen. had learned that silence
/, was wisdom. now as always. Thus I
: | lay in the box like dog that has been
> | all but drowned. and listened to the
words of my rescuers.
!. These were arguing respecting the
! contents and value of the box, one hold
I, ing this opinion and another that. One
!, who seemed to be their leader. was
= about to unfasten the ropes, but an
- other claimed that this was his due
~ So. from angry words. they came tc
= blows. and by the grace of God (whose
!, name be exalted) they drew their
:. knives. and three of the four were
slain. The fourth removed the ropes
= and opened the box. thinking to enjoy
!, alone, the treasures which he supposed
. II to contain.
Whereupon uprose and looked up Il
!. where Campus shone, and said:
= There is no God but Godi Praise
be to Allah who has preserved me from
:. an unfortunate and unseenly efd!"
:. At that, the robber. with wild erie.
= of fear, turned and ran. and saw hin
;. no more. Such. o bountifui patron, 1.
. the disgraceful story of fhe dog Ahzab
| my seventh and twin brother But al
that which endured happened by Fat,
and Destiny. and from that which &
y written there is no escape nor flight.
Our worthy host concluded Hassan'
to laughed heartily at this story, saying
ri 20 Es-Sanit. It is evident to me tina
IN thy paucity of speech alone preserve,
thee from drowning, But acquaint US
~ I beg. with the fate of thy dog Of ,
~ brother. and of thy beautiful Pome
m granafe Flower
,yi 20 glory Of beholders." replied tn
barber. by the mouth Of the girl VIII
Is was in Jullanar's confdence-Ahzat
that shame of mules. learned willis
n in hiding, how the Wah had said in tn
~ presence OF many witnesses: Assured
II, II thou escapest alive. thou shalt wei
II, Jullanar.'T
: '@Tellest thou me that he had tn
he efrontery 10 demand the fulflnent O