8 THE SUNDAY OREGON I AN, PORTLAND, OCTOBER 31, 1915.
fibirfe
!
and the
uSmine Arabian ITigrrts
THERE was a porter in Bagdad, who,
though a pleasant fellow, was so poor he -could
not afford to marry, and had little
fun in life. One morning a beautiful
young woman came up to him, and ordered
him to take up the crate in which he carried
goods and follow her. She bought most won
derful things fine fruits, marvelous confec
tions, . wines, perfumes, flowers things so
beautiful to the eye that the poor porter was
delighted; things that looked so good his
mouth watered for a taste, and in such quan
tities that he soon staggered beneath his load.
She guided him at last to a handsome house,
where they both were met by the two sisers
of the woman, both younger than she and both
of even greater beauty. They paid the porter
well, but, seeing him still looking wistfully at
the good things, they questioned him about
himself, and finding him well educated and
gentlemanly, for all his ragged clothes, they
asked him to stay and feast with them, but on
one condition only that he would promise
never to question them about anything he
might see or hear while in their home, no mat
ter how unusual the sights and sounds. The
porter promised willingly enough. He had
not had such a feast as was here promised for
many years, and never had he had a chance to
eat in the company of such beautiful women,
whom he soon perceived were also bright and
clever. So the meal was spread in the cool
courtyard of the- house, and the four sat down
and feasted and laughed and sang all the aft
ernoon. As night drew on, the porter felt that he
must leave, and said so, but he was not at all
pleased when the three women agreed with him,
as he wished to stay away as long as possible
from the dark and noisy little room in the
poorest part of the city, where he was forced
to live. So he cleverly prevailed upon the sis-
ters to invite him to spend the evening with
them as well, and then began to sing his best
songs and tell his best stories, so that they
would not be sorry for their good nature.
They had almost .finished their supper when
there came a loud knocking at the door. The
second sister rose and answered, and came
back saying, " My sisters, there are outside
three beggars, foreigners, but all of them
strangely shaven, and all three blind in the left
eye. They ask for food and shelter. Shall I
let them in?" - v .
" Why, yes," answered the other two. " They
may be interesting men, and have stories to tell
that will amuse us. ' Let them in."
So the beggars came in. They were all
three tall, thin men, with no beards such as
Mohammedans Wear, but with long - thin
drooping mustaches, and each -wearing a patch
over his left eye.' , "Being beggars, they stood
humbly back, but the three sisters hospitably
seated them at the table and gave them plenty
to eat and drink" and soon the three hungry
beggars were as happy as the poor porter had
become. : . : -
After they had ; finished : the elder sister
asked, " Have you no strange tales to tell; or
anything with which you. can amuse us this
evening? " . -
To the surprise of all, the beggars called for
musical instruments, and played and sang with
wonderful skill," after which all recited verses
from the Persian poets in a manner which
showed that these young men had not all their
lifes been beggars.'
. The curiosity, of the three lovely sisters was
roused, but before they had time to ask fur
ther questions there, came another knocking at
the door, and the second sister once more went
out to answer. -
Now it happened that the caliph, Haroun
al Rashid, loved dearly to put on a disguise and
go unknown about his city at night, seeing
how his people lived and often hearing what
they thought of him.
On this night, accompanied only by his
grand vizier and one of his best slaves, he hap
pened to be passing the house of the three
women, when he heard the sounds of mirth
and laughter, and in . spite of the remon
strances of the grand
vizier insisted upon
entering to see what
the fun was and share
it if possible.
When the beautiful
woman opened the
door and demanded
his business he was ...
more determined than ever to go in.
" We are," he said, " merchants from an
other city, who have lost our way in the dark
streets. Could you, in the kindness of your
hearts, take us in and let us pass the night
in your home? ",
The woman looked at them sharply, and,
seeing they were dressed as foreign merchants
- would be, and seemed decent, respectable men
she laughed and said, " Yes, we have so much
company we might as well have more.
Come in."
But when the caliph and the others were
seated the elder sister said to all the guests,
" You are our guests only upon your promise
to question us- as to nothing you may see or
hear while in this house. Read what is writ-
"Being beggars, they stood humbly back.",
ten above our door." And the caliph read
aloud, " Speak not of that which does not con- .
cern thee, lest thou hear that which does not
please thee."
" We promise to ask no questions," said all
the guests, and the newcomers were fed, and
the fun went on, till suddenly the elder sister
stopped and said, "We must now to our
work."
The second sister then went away, and came
back leading by chains two big black dogs,
which crouched and whined as though fright
ened. The youngest sister bade the men sit back,
cleared the center of the courtyard, and the
second sister led the dogs there and held them
while the elder beat first one and then another
till she was exhausted, after which she em
braced the poor, whimpering beasts, and the
three sisters went over, them and bathed the
marks of the whip upon their sides with heal
ing salves.
,This scene naturallj' aroused the greatest
curiosity among the guests, but the grand
vizier said, "You cannot question them. We
all promised we would not." However, the
caliph could not contain himself, and when at
last the eldest woman said, " hat are you
talking of? " he told her, and asked her why
she first beat the dogs and then wept- over
them.
" Have you, then," cried the woman, " been
entertained by us and so soon break your
promise to us ? "
She called loudly, clapping her hands, and
seven fierce black slaves appeared, bound the
seven guests, and stood waiting further orders,
with drawn swords pressed against the neck3
of the men.
The porter began to beg for his life, and
when they saw signs of relenting the other
men begged, too, and at last the women talked
together a moment and then the eldest said,
" If you can keep us amused a little longer you
need not be punished. Who has entertaining
stories to tell ? "
" Not I," said the porter. " Nothing inter
esting ever happened to me before tonight,
and this tale you know better than I."
That made the women laugh. "You must
have had adventures," they said, turning to the
three beggars. " Are you brothers?"
" No," they answered, and one added, " but
we have seen strange things."
" Tell us, in turn, how each happened to lose
his left eye, and go about the world beardless,
and if we are amused you may all go unpun
ished," said the elder sister.
" Agreed ! " cried the three beggars. And
the caliph, the grand vizier, their slave, and
the porter all breathed more easily.- The first
beggar then began his story.
(To be continued next Sunday.)
5-' :-
Pi
WH"WH'WHERES the Cowby?"
Y gasped the Dutchman, waddling hur
riedly up to the Teenie Weenie back
porch, where the Cook sat slicing a grape for lunch.
' I saw him a while ago,' reading a book under
the shade of that mushroom the other side of the
house," answered the Cook. - -
" Danks," and the Dutchman went off, blowing
like a steam engine. " Oh, dere you vas," he cried,
as he ran up to the Cowboy. " I haf somethings
much to tell you."
" Let's hear it," said the Cowboy, closing his
book.
" Veil," began the Dutchman. " der Injun and I
have found a cowfrog."
" I guess you mean a bullfrog," corrected the
Cowboy, smiling.
" Yes, yes a bulltoad bullfrog," cried the ex
cited Dutchman, " and ve vant you to come and
threw der lasso over its head, und catch it."
" Sure," cried the Cowboy. " Wait till I get my
rope."
Soon, followed by the rest of the Teenie Weenies,
the Cowboy and the Dutchman -ran off to the big
oond at the end of the garden.
" S-s-sh," warned the Indian, as the crowd of ex
cited little people ran uo to the oond. " Froe, him
sleep, don't wake."
On a mossy log, which lay partly in the water,
sat a big green bullfrog, fast asleep.
It was decided that the Dutchman, the Turk, and
the Sailor, being the strongest men, should hold the
end of the lasso, while the Cowboy threw it over
the frog's head.
" Now, as soon as I throw the rope over his
head," cried the Cowbov. " vou fellows hold on with
all your might."
Quietly the four Teenie Weenies tiptoed down
the log, and at the proper moment the Cowboy
slipped the noose cleverly over the frog's head.
Awakened by this strange thing around his neck,
the frog gave a great leap, pulling the four Teenie
Weenie men into the pond with an enormous splash,
and vanishing himself.
The rest pulled their shivering friends hurriedly
out of the pond, and as no one was hurt, presently
they were laughing till they had to hold their
Teenie Weenie sides at the picture the four made.
" Chiminy," said the Dutchman, as he -wrung out
his dripping coat, " I didn't know dot a bulltoad
was so strong yet ! "
tOopyrUftt: lfflfl: By Win. rmtiey.J
' '