12. The woman remained obstinately silent, and would not declare for either; a feature in the case which rendered its decision exceedingly difficult. The judge heard both sides attentively, reflected for a moment, and then said, "Leave the woman here, and return to-morrow.' 13. The learned man and the laborer each bowed, and retired; and the next cause was called. This was a dif ference between a butcher and an oil-seller. The latter appeared covered with oil, and the former was sprinkled with blood. 14. The butcher spoke first, and said: "I went to buy some oil from this man, and, in order to pay him for it, I drew a handful of money from my purse. The sight of the money tempted him. He seized me by the wrist. I cried out, but he would not let me. go; and here we are, having come before your worship,k I holding my money in my hand, and he still grasping my wrist. Now, I assert that this man is a liar, when he says that I stole his money; for the money is truly mine own." 15. Then spoke the oil-merchant: "This man came to purchase oil from me. When his bottle was filled, he said, 'Have you change for a piece of gold'?' I searched my pocket, and drew out my hand full of money, which I laid on a bench in my shop. He seized it, and was walking off with my money and my oil, when I caught him by the wrist, and cried out, 'Robber!' 16. "In spite of my cries, however, he would not surrender the money; so I brought him here, that your wor ship might decide the case. Now, I assert that this man is a liar, when he says that I want to steal his money; for it is truly mine own." 17. The cadi caused each man to repeat his story, but neither varied one jot from his original statement. He reflected for a moment, and then said, "Leave the money with me, and return to-morrow." 18. The butcher placed the coins, which he had never let go, on the edge of the cadi's mantle. After which, he and his opponentm bowed to the tribunal, and departed. It was now the turn of Bou-Akas and the cripple. 19. "My lord cadi," said the former, "I came hither from a distant country, with the intention of purchasing merchandise. At the city gate I met this cripple, who first asked for alms, and then prayed me to allow him to ride behind me through the streets, lest he should be trodden down in the crowd. 20. "I consented, but, when we reached the marketplace, he refused to get down, asserting that my horse belonged to him, and that your worship would surely adjudge it to him who wanted it most. That, my lord cādi, is precisely the state of the case." 21. "My lord," said the cripple, "as I was coming on business to the market, and riding this horse, which belongs to me, I saw this man seated by the roadside, apparently half dead from fatigue. I kindly offered to take him up behind me, and let him ride as far as the market-place, and he eagerly thanked me. 22. "But what was my astonishment, when, on our arrival, he refused to get down, and said that my horse was his. I immediately required him to appear before your worship, in order that you might decide between us. That is the true state of the case. 23. Having made each repeat his statement, and having reflected for a moment, the cadi said, "Leave the horse here, and return to-morrow." It was done, and Bou-Akas and the cripple withdrew in different directions. THE CADI'S DECISIONS.-Continued. 1. ON the morrow, a number of persons besides those immediately interested in the trials assembled to hear the judge's decisions. The taleb and the peasant were called first. 2. "Take away thy wife," said the cadi to the former, "and keep her." Then, turning toward an officer, he added, pointing to the peasant, "Give this man fifty blows." He was instantly obeyed, and the taleb led away his wife. 3. Then came forward the oil-merchant and the butcher. "Here," said the cadi to the butcher, "is thy money; it is truly thine, and not his." Then, pointing to the oil-merchant, he said to his officer, "Give this man fifty blows." 4. It was done, and the butcher went away in triumph. with his money. The third cause was then called, and Bou-Akas and the cripple came forward. "Wouldst thou recognize thy horse among twenty others?" said the judge to Bou-Akas. 5. "Yes, my lord." "And thou'?" "Certainly, my lord,” replied the cripple. "Follow me," said the cādi to Bou-Akas. 6. They entered a large stable, and Bou-Akas pointed out his horse among the twenty which were standing side by side. ""Tis well," said the judge. "Return now to the tribunal, and send me thine adversary hither." 7. The disguised sheik" obeyed, delivered his message, and the cripple hastened to the stable, as quickly as his distorted limbs could carry him. He had quick eyes, and a good memory, so that he was able, without the slightest hesitation, to place his hand on the right animal.. 8. ""Tis well," said the cadi; "return to the tribunal." His worship resumed his place, and when the cripple arrived, judgment was pronounced. "The horse is thine," said the cādi to Bou-Akas. "Go to the stable and take him." Then, turning to the officer, he said, "Give this cripple fifty blows." It was done; and Bou-Akas went to take his horse. 9. When the cadi, after concluding the business of the day, was retiring to his house, he found Bou-Akas waiting for him. "Art thou discontented with my award'?" asked the judge. 10. "No, quite the contrary," replied the sheik." "But I want to ask by what means thou hast rendered justice; for I doubt not that the other two causes were decided as correctly as mine. I am not a merchant; I am Bou-Akas, Sheik of Algeria, and I wanted to judge for myself of thy reputed wisdom." 11. The cadi bowed to the ground, and kissed his master's hand. "I am anxious," said Bou-Akas, "to know the reasons which determined your three decisions." "Nothing, my lord, can be more simple. Your highness saw that I detained, for a night, the three things in dispute'?" "I did." 12. "Well, early in the morning, I caused the woman to be called, and I said to her suddenly, 'Put fresh ink in my inkstand.' Like a person who had done the same thing a hundred times before, she took the bottle, removed the cotton, washed them both, put in the cotton again, and poured in fresh ink, doing it all with the utmost neatness and dexterity. 13. "So I said to myself, 'A peasant's wife would know nothing about inkstands—she must belong to the taleb.'” "Good," said Bou-Akas, nodding his head. "And the money' ?" "Did your highness remark that the merchant had his clothes and hands covered with oil'?" 14. "Well, I took the money, and placed it in a vessel filled with water. This morning I looked at it, and not a particle of oil was to be seen on the surface of the water. So I said to myself, 'If this money belonged to the oilmerchant, it would be greasy from the touch of his hands; as it is not so, the butcher's story must be true." 15. Bou-Akas nodded, in token of approval. "Good," said he. "And my horse'?" "Ah! that was a different business; and, until this morning, I was greatly puzzled." "The cripple, I suppose, did not recognize the animal'?" "On the contrary, he pointed him out immediately." "How, then, did you discover that he was not the owner'?" . 16. "My object in bringing you separately to the stable was, not to see if you would know the horse, but if the horse would know you. Now, when you approached him, the creature turned toward you, laid back his ears, and neighed with delight; but when the cripple touched him, he kicked. Then I knew that you were truly his master." 17. Bou-Akas thought for a moment, and then said, "Allah has given thee great wisdom. Thou oughtest to be in my place, and I in thine. But I fear I could not fill thy place as cādi!" h IN-FAL-LI-BLE, unerring. 1 TRI-BU-NAL, court of justice. 1 AD-MIN'-IS-TER-ING, deciding in disputes. m OP-PO'-NENT, one who opposes. n AD-JUDGE', give; award. • A-WARD', decision. PRE-PU-TED, reported. 9 HIGH-NESS, title of respect or honor. [Bou-Akas. His journey. Meeting with a cripple, whom he allows to ride behind him. The artifice of the cripple. They go before the cadi. Give an account of the two trials there. Of the case of Bou-Akas and the cripple. Give an account of the cadi's decisions in the three cases. Of the subsequent interview between Bou-Akas and the cadi. Describe the reasons which led to the cadi's decisions in the three cases. The closing remarks of the sheik. This Arabian tale is introduced, not merely as a good reading-lesson, but more especially for the purpose of showing the difference between a simple story and an allegory or a fable. In the allegory, as before shown, while one subject is described, another subject is really the one intended to be represented; but, in this story, there is no hidden meaning, and no design to represent any additional subject. It is intended as a simple narrative, but which may be either a history or a fiction.] 1. MEN of thought'! be up and stirring night and day: Sow the seed'! withdraw the curtain'! clear the way! There's a fount about to stream'; There's a light about to beam'; |