Revised Anecdotes.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 4124, 22 September 1883, Page 3 (Supplement)

Revised Anecdotes.

DIOUEJJES,

DIOGENES the Athenian having by his cynical remarks induced the citizens to believe that their rulers were no better than they should be, and that he had a corner on virtue and intelligence, met one day at noon the Committee of One Hundred, and upon inquiring of them their- mission, was informed that they were looking for an honest man to run for chief magistrate of the city on a non-partisan ticket. "In that case, fellow citizens," said Diogenes, " you need go no further. lam the man you" arc looking for. Your candidate I will be." And after accepting the nomination he added, in confidence., to the friends in whose hands ho had placed himself, that he did not believe in a man hiding his lantern under a tub. Alexander and Bucephalus. Philip of Macedon was the possessor of a horse, Bucephalus by name, which all his grooms had in vain endeavoured, to train so that it would show a three-minute record. His youthful son Alexander, however, undertook the.job, and was not long in subduing the animal. The news of this exploit having been brought to the King, lie was not slow in sending for his son, to whom ho addressed the following words—" You must seek out for yourself some other kingdom than mine, my son, because people who go into the horse business are rarely good for anything else." It was upon hearing those words that Alexander wept to think that he would have to conquer other kingdoms instead of coming into one at the old man's death. O.ssAR and the Pilot. C. Julius Ca-sar having occasion, to make a sea voyage, a storm sprang up, and the vessel was placed in imminent peril. At this moment Caspar's freedman, Cn. Pompilius Mucilaginus, whispered to his master, " Would it not be well for you, O Cresar, to encourage the pilot by reminding him that he curies Ciesar and his fortunes ?" "By no means," replied the conqueror. " It would only rattle him ; and besides, if he saved us he would expect a liberal tip." Mohammed and tub Si'ider. The Prophet Mohammed, while fleeing from his enemies, was compelled to take refuge in a cave, across the mouth of which a spider spun her web, so that the pursuers , on coming up were convinced that no one had entered there. Upon rejoining his family in safety, the Prophet did not fail to give an account of his wonderful deliverance, and ever afterwards his young wife, Ayesha, it was observed, would rate severely or even chastise the slaves when she noticed that they had neglected to sweep down the cobwebs from the roof of the harem, observing that people could not be too careful about such things. Mohammed, in recognition of her affection and thoughtfulness, thereupon adopted Ayesha's black petticoat as the standard of the Arabian nation, quelling the murmurs of the haughty chiefs, who were reluctant to follow so feminine an emblem to the field, by the remark that if he, the Prophet of Allah, was so much afraid of that petticoat, much more would the infidels be terrified.—" Harper's New Monthly."