Abdullah Tinkel and the Scribe.

Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 8, 23 December 1893, Page 4

Abdullah Tinkel and the Scribe.

A PERSIAN ROMANCE WITH A COLONIAL FLAVOUR-

(From the original of Feramorz.)

It was many, many years ago, in the beautiful City of Teheran, the capital of poetic Persia, then the centre of Eastern learning and Oriental magnificence, that the events chronicled below took place. Timour, the magnificent, was the reigning Shah, and was beloved by his subjects as much for his wisdom as for his strict and at times even stern- sense of justice. At the court held by this gracious monarch, which was visited by princes from far and near to drink in the learning of the Shah’s Ministers and to partake of the boundless hospitality of the ruler, were two men upon whom he allowed the light of his countenance to fall—his Grand Vizier Abdullah and his chief scribe, Haman. The Grand. Vizier was a man of great intelligence and powerful oratory, but of overweening self-conceit and arrogant manner, and from the fact that he was prone to boast of his power and to treat the common people with contempt, had earned for himself throughout the dominions of his Lord, the title of Abdullah Tinkel. He was of great wealth, too, and possessed much gold and many precious stones, but few of the people benefited by his bounty, for he loved to squander his wealth in his own aggrandisement. Many gifts and emoluments were in his power to bestow, and those who could speak loudly in his favour- were many, for had he not both the power and the will to reward or punish those who followed or spoke against him. He was the favourite of the King, and basaed in the sunshine of his smile, and the people, both high and low, made of him a small god, whom they slavishly worshipped either for fear of his power or for the crumbs which he might throw from his table. Haman, the scribe, was the King’s chronicler, and set down such eventß of his reign and the doings of his subjects as the world should know; he neither wrote in malice nor with favour, but simply that which when the King had gone would tell the generations to follow how he had ruled, and what good or evil his Ministers had done. His task was not always' a pleasant one, but the love and admiration he bore his King, and the desire to always do that which was true and right buoyed him up through many a troublous time. The masses, who were fickle then as now, were oft inclined to judge him wrongly, when in their interest and his master’she criticised the action of some powerful emir or perhaps of the Grand Vizier himself; and actuated by fear or malice would cry down the scribe, who ventured to in all honesty record in his history the mistakes either wilful or otherwise of a reigning favourite. Abdullah Tinkel united to his other attributes one of insatiable ambition, and not satisfied with the position he held, yearne 1 for further power. He wished not only to be the right hand of the King, but to represent the King’s people as a power in perpetuity, which the King could not in a moment of pique deprive him of, as could he done in the case of his position as Grand Vizier ; he wished to be one of those great counsellors whose 'tongue is the mouthpiece of the people, and who is yet the favourite of the King, and when the time caine for the election of a chief satrap, he used his great wealth and power to achieve this coveted position. TTia manner to the lowly softened, his speech to his equals was as honey in the mouth of the true believer, and his charity* which he caused td be cried abroad, appeared like that of a father to his children. His voice was as the music of the Angel Israfil and his wisdom n answers that of the mighty Solimon. The people, though

warned by Haman, were dazzled by his combined power and assumed graciousness, and forsook their true friends to raise him to the eminence his ambition desired. The day came and throughout the land it. was made known that Abdullah Tinkel had been successful. Then came a change in his demeanour. The Grand Vizier’s haughtiness returned and, inflated "with victory, he spoke scornfully of his rivals, and derided them in their defeat and sorrow.

Now, inasmuch as such action showed a want of tact and discernment in one who never allowed his policy to be governed by an emotion that might endanger his own future power, the people marvelled and the chief scribe wrote in the annals of the Kingdom that the Satrap elect must have spoken when -under an influence other than the natural exhilaration of his victory. This the people heard from the mouths of the wise men, and they spoke amongst themselves and said it must be so. Surely the Grand Vizier had drunk too much of the wine which it is not permitted the faithful to partake of, and it was not he but .an evil spirit within him that spoke, but they mistook the meaning of the scribe and were sore wrong in their conclusions. Yet they went to Abdullah and spoke with him, and urged that he should put forth his power and crush the scribe for what he had said, lest it should ..be repeated that sinning he had allowed himself to be found out and his power be weakened. This they did for fear of Abdullah’s power, and in treachery to him who had fought their battles with the King, and they swore to abide by his word whether he were right or wrong and plead with the King for his vengeance; and Abdullah listened and called together those who were dependent upon him and said, “We will stamp out this man and destroy him with the King, and the weight of our wealth and power shall do him grievous harm. Ye shall do in all things as I shall say, and ye shall not think of that which is right or wrong, but shall obey my word; and I will have audience with the King, and he shall appoint such a mn.n to judge between us, as shall turn a deaf ear to Haman, and the end will be that mine enemy shall be cast into disgrace, and lose the position he holds, and I shall triumph over his downfall ; and if ye do not do this thing as I have said then will I take from you that which feeds your wives and families, and if ye speak a word in his defence ye shall lose the prestige ye hold as counsellors to the people, and shall become as Haman, the scribe, will be when I have finished my sport with him and they made answer and said, “We will obey, and he shall have none to speak for him before the Judge.” Then Abdullah said “ It is well, but I will do yet a more cunning thing, as I did in days gone by, when Uderim Ben Jelcho arose against me and questioned my power, I will make it known to the people through those other scribes, who have eaten my salt and must obey my word, that it is not for the goods or the possessions of Haman, the scribe, that I- care, for I will give them to the poor if I win. Thus will Ibe doing a good action at his expense, and will win the favour of the common people, whom Timour allows to have a voice in such matters.”

Now, when all these things were brought to Haman, the scribe, he pondered, and knowing in his heart that the words which he had written were not intended to mean that which Abdullah Tinkel and his under satraps and followers wished the people to believe, was sore perplexed; but he thought, surely the King is just, and when I am brought before the judge, he will listen to the truth which I may tell, and he and the people .will acquit me of ah intention to transgress the law which Timour has laid down; and will see that that which I have written was but a fair comment on the action of one who from his position should expect the bright light of criticism to beat upon his actions.

So Hainan went to Uderim Ben Jelcho the Wise, and they spoke with one' another on the matter, and Uderim said “My son, I will undertake that thy case shall be made known to the judge and the people, and that the true meaning of thy words shall be interpreted, and as Allah reigns, so shall the wiles of Abdullah recoil upon him, and he shall be caught in his own net." Now the interpretation which they knew and which was of a truth the one which was meant, was the same as that which follows.

Timour, the King, had a fair daughter, the Princess Badroulbadour, whose loveliness, even in a land where beauty was as the stars of the sky, or the sands of the sea, was beyond description. The poets of Persia had said that “the soft magic of her eyes would arrest the bones of a corpse on its entrance to the tomb.” Badroulbadour was to the TTing as the pulse of his heart, and to the people the light of their existence. She was wise and good, as well as beautiful, and both by King and people-had been placed above all other women, in that she was allowed an opinion in the counsels of the state, and a word for or against such as sought a higher eminence. Abdullah Tinkel had earnestly sought her support before his elevation, for she—and she alone—could, by her aid, give him that which his soul desired. It was not that his cold heart warmed with love for her, but that her power was a means to the end he sought, and for this purpose he wooed her.

On the day when the people and the nobles were to give their voices for him whom they desired to honour above other men, - Abdullah sought the Princess far and wide throughout the day, for his heart was troubled as to what she would do, but he found her not until the shades of night were falling and the die had been cast. Then she came forth with her attendants to enjoy the cool of the evening, and called Abdullah to her side, and said, “ I have done what I for thee Abdullah, and thou art the elect of the people, there is my hand, which has done this thing for theeand Abdullah became puffed up with pride, and replied, “ Thou has done the thing which was right, and could not, without defiling thy reason and wisdom, have done another thing.” And he lifted his voice and cried aloud to the Princess and the people, “ Right pleased am I that ye have brushed aside the unworthy froth and scum, and have chosen me, for I am he that is above all men, and should rule and make your laws,” and with no further word of thanks to the Princess or the people, he , strode away and regained his fellows, with whom he made merry till a late hour, and revelled in the achieving that for which he had longed.

Now, Haman, the scribe, was present when these things occurred, and he beheld the look of pain in the lovely eyes of the Princess, and heard the murmurs of dissatisfaction from the people, and he thought in his heart, “ Surely th e Grand Vizier is drunk with the favour of the Princess, whom yet no hath won, or he would not have said such words,” and he wrote down on his tablets, and they were read before the •Ring and the people. Then it was that Abdullah saw how he had erred, and repented of his lack of wisdom, and he caused those scribes of whom we spoke afore to write that he had spoken differently, for he knew that that which had been given Viim could be taken away. But malice was in his heart against Haman, and through the'power which he had, he caused the scribe to be cited, and putting a wrong interpretation upon what had been written, prayed that he might be punished for spealjdhg falsely of the King’s Minister. As he had prayed, so, it

came to pass, and a day was set when the matter was to be decided between the two.

Abdullah and his friends crowded the place of judgment, and few there were who were willing to lift up their voice for Haman; for men in all ages have followed after him who is crowned with success and possessed of much wealth, and have turned from him who would suffer for the truth. And when all was silent, and the judge was seated on his seat, Abdullah rose up and said, “ Mine honour hath been touched, in that I, one of the faithful, have been accused of the habits of the Giaour, and in that it has been sot forth that I did act as do the Nazarenes, by partaking of that which is forbidden, and, further, that while in a state of unhallowed exhilaration I did make use of words that were offensive to the people and to Her Highness; therefore I pray that Haman, tho scribe, be deprived of his goods and his chattels, and punished before all, that the honour of the King’s Minister may be healed.”

Then the people who were the friends of Abdullah spoke among themselves, and said, “ It is just, bo should it bo;” and the judge, when he turned to Ilderim Ben Joloho the Wise, said, “ What hast thou to say that this thing should not be done.” Then Ilderim arose, and he placed the matter in Its truth before the people and the judge; he Bhowed what a wicked distortion had been placed upon the words that had been written; he called many who hod been present when Abdullah, had spoken, and they spoke as to their belief of the words and of the action. He told how no man had before won the favour of the Princess, and asked the people to gaze upon her and say if her smile and the music of her voice were not enough to intoxicate a follower of Mahomet. And the Princess approved of the words of Ilderim Ben Jelcho, and the people said amongst themselves, “ Surely Abdullah has erred, and done a foolish thing." When Ilderim saw how the matter was he ceased to defond, and commenced to show how Abdullah had been guided by malice in his action, and how that'in defending himself from a charge which had never been made against him, he had been his own accuser. As the silver speech fell from the lips of the wise man, the people murmured and cried that Abdullah should say if he had broken the law of the faithful, and partaken of that which was forbidden.

Then the judge spake, and said, “Abdullah, this thing must thou answer.”

The people strained forward to listen as Uderim stood forth and said, “ Abdullah Tinkel, one of tide leaders of the faithful and the right hand of the King, do my lips speak falsely when I say that thou hast at times partaken of the drink of the Nazarenes ?” And Abdullah made answer, “ It is so, but of a verity, it was when I was aweary in the King’s service, and did but take it to aid me to renewed effort for my lord and the people.” “ It is enough,” said Ilderim, “ surely your honour cannot have been touched by what has been written, and it isfcprtho reverend judge and the people to say if Haman, the scribe, hath offended.” | . ■ Then with one voice the people cried, “He is and hath done AMullah no harm;” and the judge so, while the people marvelled at the wifldomoflldeOT|Jßeh Jelcho, who could a oomplex thing so^plsto,

The Active Service Brigade in Sydney, a combination of cranks, more or less of Anarchistic ideas, is said to be the inven'tion of Desmond, who was once well-known in New Zealand. Desmond—which his name isn’t Desmond at all, at all—used to go about shearing on the Hawke’s Bay stations and ran against Captain Bussell on one occasion, getting a terrible licking. After that he was very prominent during the Te Kooti scare at Gisborne, and was accused by some of the Poverty Bay people of sending information to Te Kooti respecting the movements of the Armed Constabulary. He was pelted off a Gisborne platform about this time. Afterwards he appeared in Auckland where he ran a little red-hot republican “ rag,” which lasted just as long as the patience of its printer and then bust, busting Desmond at the same time. Just about then, too, Desmond was bowled out in “ conveying ” as original a set of Socialistic verses from an American author and passing himself off as their author.’ Finally, he turned up in Wellington and used to spout silly shrielcy stuff about the wickedness of the gory capitalist and the virtues of the ’orny-’anded, on the wharf on Sunday afternoons. It was a sad sight. Desmond would get a fair crowd together —people thought it was a dog-fight or a new sort of Salvation Army dodge, or something of that sort —and they’d stroll up in their Sunday clothes, fat and happy, and look on for a while in wonder at a redheaded man howling out something about “ the poor down-trodden workers, my friends; these poor people ground down in misery under the iron-heel of the wicked merchants and bankers,” or words to that effect. A few minutes of this sort of muck satisfied the average listener, and he would go on his way muttering “Come on, Joe, this ’aint good enough, he’s a bit balmy, I reckon.” Poor Desmond, he didn’t catch on at all. And now he is in Sydney organizing the Active Service Brigade, and if he doesn’t get shot—or five years—will probably wear out what small brain he has got left in pondering over his cranky schemes, and end as “ found drowned ” in the harbour. Poor devil 1

The Bulletin of December 2nd, has as an article on New Zealand Cheap Money Schemes, of which, by the way, we are likely to hear a good deal next session. On the whole, the Bulletin approves of the scheme, but points out how a somewhat similar schemer—in bad hands nearly smashed up the finances of the Argentine Bepublic.

An Auckland paper gives an alleged portrait of Mrs. Yates, the now famous Mayor of Onehunga. She is a stern-faced woman, the sort of woman, to judge by her looks, to give “ hubby particular Hades if he came home late from the lodge, my dear.” Already, we hear the Onehunga females, who are not lady Mayors or Mayoresses—or whatever you like to call her —are simply dying with jealousy, and when they meet to sip their Souchong and wolf the innocent-looking but indigestionresulting cake at their afternoon teas, the conversation has but one subject—the airs which "the newly-elected one will put on when she has to receive the Governor, my dear. By the way, is there a Mister Yates ? If so, how he must be enjoying life just now I

As an outcome of the “ revelations of Dunedin immorality’recently raked up by two local parsons, and delivered by them to crowded houses—we beg pardon, crowded congregations—a Social Reform Association has been formed in the Southern City. The alleged “ hobjecks” of the Society are to put down gambling, and the sale of liquor, and to promote social purity, but it needs no spirit of prophecy to foretell the fate of the society. A few unsexed females will go sniffing about the places where beer is sold at five bob a bottle, and will ferret out enough nastiness to gloat over for a month of Sundays. The male members will assist them in the godly work, and will do great things in the Social Gimlet line. As for putting down gambling, they can no more do that than they can put up the light of the sun. Social reform work—as regards the brothels—is best done by the Salvation Army, who do it earnestly, quietly, thoroughly, and well; but for a lot of smellfunguses to go trooping about the dirty places of the city more for the sake of self-glorification, and a great pretence at virtue, will do more harm than good. The female visitors who call on the “ perfect lydies” will most probably get a bottle thrown at them, and the male visitors, alas, may be led astray.

It is not true that Dick Seddon has kicked up a row with the directors of the New Zealand Times Company for not having their new building put up on the co-operative system, nor is it true that every man on the job had to be guaranteed of the “ right colour” before he made a start. Joking apart, the Times building is going up very quickly, and the reporters hope to be in their new sanctum before the end of February. Meanwhile they concoct their pars in Sharland’s old buildings, amidst an ancient and potent smell of decayed pills and ancient assafcetida which is said by them to outrival any of the far-famed stinks of the Times building. Good old New Zealand Times , the shades of past generations of New Zealand pressmen ought to start from their Plutonian chambers, and be present when the new building is opened. Let us hope that with the new building, the old lady will brighten up a little, and give us something more lively and up-to-date in New Zealand morning journalism. Here’s luck to her, any how!

Auckland Observer stands aghast at the audacity of Fair Play saying that the Grey Grand Old Man “ lays superfluous on the stage,” but he does, for all that. Grey will do his old wheezes in the new Parliament as he did in the last, about the “ unborn millions,” and the “ hundreds of [thousands of acres of the lands this colony, Sir,” being given away to “ foreign syndicates,” but he is an exploded volcano, as dead, politically, as Julius Cffisar. He may make a spasmodic feeble attempt to fasten the labour members on to his coat tails, but they have “ sized him” up already for what he is, a benevolent old gentleman, who has done great things in the past but who is a political force no longer.