BY AN INGENIOUS RUSE.

Waikato Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 3495, 17 November 1894, Page 5

BY AN INGENIOUS RUSE.

The tower clock of the great mosque of Jamaa Kibur, in Tangier, was sadly in need of repair, but there was no Mussulman who knew enough to do the work. The authorities wrestled, with 1 the difficulty a good deal, but the onH way out of it, apparently, was to apply to the one competent'man in the city, a Genoese dock and watch maker, and*"a Christian dog." They referred the matter to the Cadi, and he summoned ihem to council to talk it over. Long and earnest were the deliberations. How to get the "cursed Nazarene" into their holy temple to repair the clcck without defiling the place was the terrible problem. One proposed to abandon the clock alt -getlier. Another would lav down boards over which the infidel might pass without touching the sacred floor, butthis was hotMo beihiifficient safeguard, and it was finally decided to pull up such parts of the pavement as the unbeliever happened to step on and whitewash the portions of the wall he touched. . The Genoese was now sent for and ■informed what was wanted of him, being expressly charged to take off his shoes on entering the Jamaa. " That I won't," said the stout little dock-maker. "I ne?er took them off when I entered the chapel of the most Holy Virgin," and he crossed himself devoutly, "and 1 won't take them off in the house of your prophet." The Moslems were now in greater perplexity.than ever, and angrily reviled the clock-maker and all his race. Finally the solemn ulema met in conclave to decide what to do. Could any compromise be made so that the clock could be mended ? No one thought of anv, till a greyheaded Nureddin, who "had hitherto been silent, craved permission to say a. word, "If,"said the venerable Driest, "'the mosque be out of repair, and lime and bricks have to bo conveyed into the interior for the use of the masons, do not asses cany those loads ? and do not they enter "with their shoes on?" "You speak truly," was the sreneral reply "And does the donkey," resumed the Nureddin, "believe in the one God, or in Mohammed, the prophet of God ?" " No, in truth," all replied. "Th<\siid the Nureddin, «let the Christian go in shod, as a donkey would do, and come out like a donkey." The old priest's ingenuity was gratefully ' applauded, and his argument accepted at once. In the character of a donkey, therefore, the artisan entered the temple, mended the clock—not at all, indoed, like a donkey, but as such "' in the opinion of the Faithful —and came out again ; and the great mosque of Tungior has never since needed another visit of the "donkey" to its clock.