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Page 51
"To leave unseen so many a glorious sight,
To leave so many lands unvisited,
To leave so many books unread,
Unrealized so many visions bright;--
Oh! wretched yet inevitable spite
Of our short span, and we must yield our breath,
And wrap us in the unfeeling coil of death,
So much remaining of unproved delight,
But hush, my soul, and vain regrets be still'd;
Find rest in Him Who is the complement
Of whatsoe'er transcends our mortal doom,
Of broken hope and frustrated intent;
In the clear vision and aspect of Whom
All wishes and all longings are fulfill'd."
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 2: "Such is the lost of the beautiful upon
earth."--_Wallenstein's Tod_.]
TALES OF THE KHOJA.[3]
(_Adapted from the Turkish._)
INTRODUCTION.
"O my children!" said the story-teller, "do you indeed desire amusement
by the words of my lips? Then shut your mouths, that the noise you make
may be abated, and I may hear myself speak; and open your ears, that you
may be entertained by the tales that I shall tell you. Shut your mouths
and open your ears, I say, and you will, without doubt, receive pleasure
from what I shall have to relate of Khoja Nasr-ed-Deen-Effendi.
"This Khoja was not altogether a wise man, nor precisely a fool, nor
entirely a knave.
"It is true, O children, that his wisdom was flecked with folly, but
what saith the proverb? 'No one so wise but he has some folly to spare.'
Moreover, in his foolishness there was often a hidden meaning, as a
letter is hid in a basket of dates--not for every eye.
"As to his knaveries, they were few, and more humorous than injurious.
Though be it far from me, O children, as a man of years and probity, to
defend the conduct of the Khoja to the Jew money-lender.
"What about the Jew money-lender, do you ask?
"This is the tale."
_Tale_ 1.--The Khoja and the Nine Hundred and Ninety-nine Pieces of
Gold.
This Khoja was very poor.
One day, wishing for a piece of gold, he corrected himself, saying: "It
costs no more to wish for a thousand pieces than for one. I wish for a
thousand gold pieces."
And he repeated aloud--"I wish for a thousand pieces of gold. _I would
not accept one less._"
Now it so happened that he was overheard by a certain covetous Jew
money-lender. This man was of a malicious disposition; and the poverty
of the Khoja was a satisfaction to him. When he heard what the Khoja
said he chuckled to himself, saying, "Truly this Khoja is a funny
fellow, and it would be a droll thing to see him refuse nine hundred and
ninety-nine pieces of gold. For without doubt he would keep his word."
And as he spoke, the Jew put nine hundred and ninety-nine gold pieces
into a purse, and dropped the purse down the Khoja's chimney, with the
intention of giving him annoyance.
The Khoja picked up the purse and opened it.
"Allah be praised!" he cried, "for the fulfilment of my desires. Here
are the thousand pieces."
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