Those Awful Slippers

Theiv was once in Btgdad a man called Abderahman, who, during seven years, liad always worn the same pair jf slippers. Whenever one part of theui #ot shab'oy. or feil into holes, lie stuck on a new piece, so that by constant patcliing tliey becune very heavy. VViien comparisons weie made, people jokingly remarked, "Why, thi's is as neavy as ADCieratunau s slippers r One day, when Abderahman found hiuiselt' in the frlass Bazaar, a broker came up, and thus addressed liiin: "Friend, a merclnint frotn Aleppo luis just arrived with au assortment of gilt glasses, which liave not, as vet, bppn seen. He wishes to dispose of thein ; I adviseyou to purchase - yon can gel them f or less than I could ; I will then buy back of you, however many you iiiay takt;, and thus you will gaiu more than you will have given for them." Abderahman lollowed his advice and bought glass to the value of sixtv quina. As he caine alone: the market of the Perfumera, another broker carne up and said, "A weichant from Nisib Liaa journeyect heve with soine excellent rosewater; he must retuiyí immediately, so you can advantageocUly inake ao investuaent at a very low price. 1 will buy oí you to the same amount; and the price you shall receive shall be twice as uiucti as ytu have paid." Abderahtuan disbursed auother sixty sequinsfor the f ragrant water. He pack ed ir, carefully into thegüi-rimiued glusses, took all home witli him, and depasiLed iheui on a shelf ai the back of his room. Wheu he was preparing to take his us u batí), une oi' his friends retnarkel, "How niueh Ishouid liket.osee you chiuige these slipporsl ïhey are awkward for you urul surely you are rich enoHgli now to aupply yourself wit!, anothw Dair." "Vou are right," said Abde.v mun "[ will do so one of these days.' Af U-r which he went to his bath, and wlien about to djess, fouiid another pair of slippers awaiting nim instead oi' his own, whereupon he surmised tbtttin pleasantry, or out of kinduess, his hienda liad bought theua forhim. Well pleased, he thrust his feet into them, and went into his bouse. Tliose new slippers, however, belonged tu the kadi, who had also gone to the bath the same time as Abderahman,and who had leftthein there ready tor his return. When the kadi camc out of his bath and searched ineffeetually for them, a commotion ensued. He cried out, "Ah! ah! my brothers! has anybody put on my slippers and not left me any iü fcheir stead?" Several attendants went to seek for them; the only ones they fouud were Abderahman's, which eery one readir ly rpoognined. The kadi, in a great rage at having sueh shabby coverings for his aristocratie feet foisted upoii him, immediately sent his people to surround the delinquent's house; he ordered them to enter it, and if they found nis slippers tht-re to give the purloiner the bastiuado, after whic! he should be put in prison, that he might know for the future how to behave himseif ; after that he should pay a heavy üne, he might be set at liberty. When Abderahman came out of prison he feit such f-piti if.aii.it li worn-out slippers that 1 ( 1 u v ;1 e into the River Tigris. Al thal m ment it happened that a flsherman was spreading nis net in tbe very spot wheie he had thrown mem. Hesnatched thein out of the water, and, alter examinmg them, exelaimed: ''These must certainly belong to Abderahman ! He must have let them fall into the river." Wishing to restore them to their owner. but notflnding him in his house, and remarking a window open at the back, he decided on tossinjj them in through the wlndow. They unfortunately feil on the shelf where the newly-purchased glasses and the rose-water stood; the glasses were shattered, and the rose-water was spilt and ran over the fioor. Wben Abderahman rel umed home he observed the disorder of his room, and then the accident that had oceurred. Deploriug the misad venture, and striking his forehead violently and she-ddingabundant tears, lm called out, "VVhat a cruel tnisferlune ! Oh, those slippers ! they are the cause to me of' every calamity !" As night was elosing in, he deleruiined to dig a hole to biiry them. Indeed, it was only wheu they went out of sight that he feit his grief somewhat iightened, but his neighbors, who heard him digging, tliought it astrange and suspicious proceeding at that late hour, and weijt afterward to rob him of the Lreasure they imaginedhe was coneealing. As he would not confess to the possession of any treasure, they made acomplaint to the governor of the city, who thereupon had Abdbiuliman arïestod and placed in irons. He asked Kim why he was digging, thus causing injury to his neighbor's wall. As he did not like to reveal the cause oí his foolish ernplQynient, they locked him up, and at lengtu gave hiui his liberty only upon his consenting to pay a ueavy fine. When the term of lus Imprisonment was over. his exasperation against his unlucky slippers increased. He tliought, if he cast tliem into the river, that tlity might by chaice Hoat back with the tide, so In; threw them intoan old drain, where they gathered around them all aorts of rubbish, and caused a stoppage. The people of the caravaasary soon complained. They searched, and inquired into the cause, and lo! Abderahmau's slippers were discovcred. The governor was informed of what had happened, and of the tumult and dissatisfacüon existing in the caravausary. He summoned the culpriL btfore him, gave him a severe reprimand, and had him lodged in prison. "I promise you, sirrah, that it shall be at your expense that the masous will be paid for executing the repairs." Abaerahman possessed but a very sinall sum to pay for them ; besides which he was to be mulcted oC a line before he could be set at liberty. When he departed he took his slippers wilh him, aud l'ull of wrath, cried dut. "Hy the beard .of the prophet, oan I t}ever rid myself of these detestable slippers V' Then he placed them in a cellar of the house, which had also served as a sort of larder; a dog ob.serving them. and being attracted by the smell of the larder, hoping to lind something toeat, took them hastily np and ran off to another cellar with them. On his way there he happened to drop one, and an old woman coming by feil down over it, by which a severe injury was caused to herejes, Whereupon the slipper was picked up, and every oue about her vociferated loudly. "It belonga to no one elae but AfJderahman !" The coruplaint of the old woman was broiight before the k;uli, who deeided that the individual wlio had occasioned the Injury should warry the one-nyed croue, who, by the accident, had been rendered so ugly that no man would tliiuk of her. Abderahman, struck aghaat at lus cruel fate, and inveighinR against it, at length plueked up courage and went with hi slippers before the kadi, to luake a formal declaration. "1 iequest the kadi," he said, "to draw up a document stating that all right of property musí now cease bet ween me and these evil-bringing slippers. I no longer own thciii; tliey no more bel ong to me. 1 publicly state, O kadi! that 1 will not be rendered Hable for any misfortune that these detestable slippers may bring upon me or upon others." The kadi made out therequired document, and handing it to Abderahmau, Baid, 'I hope now by this solemn act of renowncement thattheir adventure and your affllction will cease. Tou have ceriai n ly been an unlucky bird I but, my búd, rerneniber and lay to heart, that what-ever affliction Allah sends, life's burthen must be borne witn imtience, with fortitude, and with reüignation. Invoke his protection and í 11 wlll be we!]." This was all very proper advice f rom a grave kadi, but the cobbler wlu narrated the story added the more homely mora!, "Don't wear ynur slippers too long."