tory
of another community, had infringed their rights, and stolen a bone.
Immediately an immense uproar ensued; all were on foot, and in full cry,
and the strange dog was chased across the border into his own territory.
Here, meeting some of his own friends, he called them about him,
returned to the attack, and a general engagement ensued as I was
passing.

While I stood by, intent upon the scene, a thought struck me, and I
exclaimed, 'Allah, oh Allah, how inscrutable are thy designs! and how
little ought man, narrow-minded, short-sighted man, ever to repine at
thy decrees! Thou throwest into my path a lesson, which teaches me the
way that I should go, and that assistance is ever at hand to those who
will seek it; and, though given by a dog, let me not despise it. No,
am I to be surprised at anything, when I see animals, without reason,
acting like men, with it? Let me not be cast down, but rather retreat to
where I may still find a friend, and seek consolation in his advice and
experience!'

Upon this, I turned almost mechanically to where I knew I should find my
faithful friend and adviser, the old Osman, who, although a Turk and a
Suni, had always behaved to me as if he had been my countryman, and
one of my own religious persuasion. He received me in his usual quiet
manner; and when I had related all my misfortunes, he puffed out a long
volume of smoke from his never-failing chibouk, and exclaimed, with a
deep sigh, '_Allah kerim!_ (God is merciful!)'

'My friend,' said he, 'when you appeared here in all your magnificence
before the Persians, from that moment I was apprehensive that some evil
would befall you. You perhaps are yet not old enough to have learnt how
odious are comparisons. Could you for a moment suppose, that men, in
your own station in life, who are drudging on, day after day, intent
upon the sale of a pipestick or a bag of Shiraz tobacco, that they could
bear to be bearded by an appearance of greatness and prosperity, so much
beyond anything which they could ever expect to attain? Had you appeared
with a better coat or a richer cap than they, or had you been mounted on
a horse, when they could only afford an ass, then, perhaps, nothing
more would have been said, but that you were more expert in making your
fortune, and a better retailer of your wares. But to crush, to beat them
down, with your magnificent dress, your amber-headed pipes, your train
of servants, your richly caparisoned horse, and, ab