THE PRISONER'S FRIEND

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 15, 18 January 1930, Page 18

THE PRISONER'S FRIEND

There was once a Caliph of an Eastern kingdom who lived in a great fortress. ■ ' .''' \ His -burnous was snowy white; his rich, flowing gown deep blue; ho dyed his raven hair and beard with henna. to show that he had been the pilgrimage to Mecca; and ho wore a green turban as a sign that he was descended from the. Prophet. When he. rode through the1 narrowstreets of his white-housed, windowless city, everyone bowed before him, call-. ing out, "Way for the Caliph, Commander of the Faithful, Protector of tho Pool!" . .. ' : Now, as every day the ruler passed thus, through the town, he noticed » captive peering at him out of the arched cellar-grating of the big underground town dungeon. Though tho face of the prisoner was pale it was not unhappy; which was strange, seeing that he had been shut up there since the day of the Caliph '» late father. . What his crime waa the great man could scarcely bring to mind; he rather; thought it was that the wretch bad not found enough money for the taxgatherers. : . ; At last a day came when the Caliph summoned the gaoler of the dungeon to his prcseace, and said to him: "Daily have I watched the captiv» '■ Hassan looking out of the pfisen grat' ing, and the light of. eonteutment on his face surprises me. He mwt hay* some pleasant task, some oadearing companion, inside his cell. Watch, and lot mo know." "To hear is to obey," safld the gaoler. A day or two later he came to the Caliph,'saying: "Lord,. I have discovered how Hassan spends long hours in' amusing himself. He taps at a cranny in the wall. Down swings a large spider on its line, to bo fed with flies, caressed, and played with by' Hassan for hours together. Then, at a signal from the prisoner, whenever anyone' approaches, once more the spider. aseeiids its line and. hides, to come down again when summoned." "I would fain behold the scone,** said the Caliph. "Take me where I may watch tho two together." "Nay, Lord, that' is not possible," replied the gaoler. "Directly I saw-the spider was affording real pleasure and relief to Hassan, I killed it." The Caliph's eyes flashed. ' "Unfeeling wretch!" he exclaimed, when at last speech was possible to. him. "How couldst thou bring thyself to destroy the one friend that Allah vouchsafed to him! "Let Hassan be released forthwith, and do thou thyself take his place in tho dungeon, till thou hast succeeded, in gaining the friendship of such another spider!" "' . ■

OPEN EYES,

"I was looking through, an ajrt book tjio other day, and I sa,w an illustration; which reminded me of our page, for it, too, Was called the 'Fairy King.' It was a midnight scene, with a huge ring and dainty fairies in the sky showing ■ up against a big yellow moon. Down below was a shadowy lake, which mirrored the gay scene above.'; - ■ • . IRISH MARY; Miramar. • •••.■■-

THINGS SAID.

Don't tell mother,

A boy run over by a car. Once a creed becomes fixed it is dead. , ' —Mr. Hamilton ITyfe.'

A CHRISTMAS PARTY.

Such doings took place a> you'd hardly believe . : In a greengrocer's shop on last ChritN mas Eve. A funny (at Pumpkin jumped up, and ha . said: ' . "Let's all have some fun," and he steed on his head. ing and shouts, And a Cabbage waltzed off with sent. gay Brussel Sprouts: The French Beans spoke French that was like Double butch. The Artichoke choked, he was lauihina so much. . They kept up tho. fun' till the dawn of the day; "Hooray!" cried the Onion, 'mid eh«trAnd however they did it I really can't say: But at six o'clock they were a!l in their places With ncvor so much as a smile en their ' faces. '. . ,•. ■< Sent in by "RIPPLING WATEfI." Lower Hutt.