FOR THE CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18996, 18 April 1925, Page 4 (Supplement)

FOR THE CHILDREN.

HOW BALEK WON HIS WAGER. An Arabian king, Ali the First, once had gatfcerod his courtiers together to inquire .what profession or trade had the greatest number of followers in his town. " Thetyo are a great many blacksmiths," said a pi^nce. " Very many carpenters, too," said a counsellor. " It seems to me," put in a courtier, " that if oiwj reckoned all the masons of the town—" " Or r-.li tihe joiners," interrupted another. "What abciut the grocers?" exclaimed some one. " You forget* the butchers!" retorted the major-domo* And all went m arguing till Balek the jester asked kaw) to speak. " I am going to make you all agree," ho said. I will bet that the favourite profession in tbtt town is that of physician." Everybody laugbad. "The jester is mad! ' Balek is mad!" they shouted. " There are no moro than five or six doctors in jhe whole town." " I hold the bet," ji»peated Balek, "and to morrow evening I will bring you the proof that this town .holds many more doctors than blacksmiths, or masons, or joiners, or butchers." The next morning BaJtk sat on the first step of the Palace; his head was wrapped up in a big bandage, he looked quite downhearted. The first courtier on Ws way to the Palace stopped and askedk: " What is the matter wtyb you, Balek ? Is your head aching,so mucjj,?' "Toothache, maddening pain!" grumbled the jester. " How sad! You ought rinse your mouth with hot milk," advised the courtier. "Thank you verv much, sir," said Balek. A second courtier came along and asked kindly: "Is there anything tho matter with vour teeth, poor Balek ?" " [am wild with them! lam getting out of myself," said Balek. " Why' not chew some leaves of ivy?" went on the second courtier, "it is a wonderful remedy; you should try and sec." " I will," replied the jester. " Why not have your bad tooth taken out?" said a third courtier, stepping into the I'alaee. " I should garglo with potro), if .1 were you," said a fourth.

" I always chew gum when thqro is anything wrong with my teeth," said a fifth. And there was not one among the many courtiers entering the Palace that morning who did not urge somo remedy for Balek s sufferings. * In the name evening, Balek wont to the palace, removed his bandage before the king, and declared solemnly: " Lefc yonr Highness be the judge. I bavo been sitting in front of the palace with this bandage around my beaa all day, and five hundred doctors bavo prescribed for my supposed toothache. Now can anybody pretend that tho profession of a doctor is not tho most popular in the town?" And the king was obliged to agreo with Balek, who had won bis wager.