Choni-Ha-Maagol.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1842, 26 April 1884, Page 6 (Supplement)

Choni-Ha-Maagol.

A JEWISH HIP VAN WINKLE. Tim leading idea on which Washington Irving founded his story of llip Van Winkle reappears, as is well known in the folk-lores of several nations. There are the German legends of Frederick Barbarosa and of Peter Klaus ; the Scotch fables of Thomas the rhymer and of the two fiddlers of Strathspey ; the Arabian story given in ths Koran of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus ; and the familiar fairy tale of the Sleeping Beauty. To these the Jewish Chronicle adds the story of Choni-ha-Maagol from the Talmud. It is to be found, in different forms, in both the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud ; but the former version, beside being apparently the more genuine, is certainly the more interesting. Choni-ha-Maagol \sas all his life unable to understand the Biblical passage. " When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream." (Ps. cxxvi., 1.) " Can seventy years be regarded as a dream ? How is it possible," he asked, " for a man to remain for seventy years asleep ? " i One day, while on a journey, he saw a man planting a carob tree, and asked him how long a period he expected would elapse before the tree became fruitful. " Seventy years," was the reply. " Do you then expect to live seventy years and to eat of the fruit ?•" " When I entered the world," was the answer, " I found carob trees in abundance. Even as my fathers planted for me, in like manner shall I also plant for those that are to come after me." Choni sat down to his meal, and a deep sleep fell upon him, and he slumbered. The rock closed up around him and he was hidden from the sight of men. And thus he lay for seventy years. When he awoke and rose to his feet, lo 1 he beheld a man eating of the fruit of the very carob tree he had seen planted. Choni asked: " Dost thou know who it was that planted this tree?" " My grandfather." Then Choni knew that he had slept on for seventy years. He went to his house and asked where the son of Choni-ha-Maagol was. 11 His son," they told him, "is dead. His grandson you can see if you will." "I am Choni-ha-Maagol !" he exclaimed ; but no one believed him. He thence turned his steps to the house of learning, and he heard the rabbis saying : "We have resolved this difficulty as we used to do when Choni-ha-Maagol was alive ;" for, in times past, when Choni went to the meeting, he was able to expound every subject under discussion. " I am Choni-ha-Maagol ! " .he oried, for the second time. But, again, none would believe him, neither did they treat him with honor. Broken hearted, he left the haunts of men, and prayed for death, and his prayer was answered. " This," said Rayah, " is the meaning of the saying, ' To the friendless man death cometh as a blessing.' "