Khaled by F. Marion Crawford (best e book reader android TXT) ๐
Description
Khaled is a hard-working and faithful genie who, in his zeal, goes a little too far and kills a faithless man. This puts him under scrutiny from the powers above, who curse him to live as a human. Since genies have no souls, he will vanish from existence when he dies; but, if he can find true love, heโll be granted a soul and thus be allowed into heaven.
Written in the style of the โoriental romancesโ popular in those days, Khaled was F. Marion Crawfordโs favorite novel out of all of the ones he wrote in his successful career.
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- Author: F. Marion Crawford
Read book online ยซKhaled by F. Marion Crawford (best e book reader android TXT) ๐ยป. Author - F. Marion Crawford
When the men heard these words, they looked stealthily one at another, to see who would answer Khaled, for they had all heard the story and most of them were inclined to believe it. Peace is the mother of evil-speaking, as garbage breeds flies in a corner, which afterwards fly into clean houses and men ask whence they come. But none of the chief men found anything to say at first, so that Khaled sat in silence a long time, waiting for someone to speak. He therefore turned to the one nearest to him, and addressed him.
โHave you heard this tale?โ he inquired. โAnd if you have heard it do you believe it?โ
โI think, indeed, that I have heard something of the kind,โ answered the man. โBut it was as the chattering of an uncertain vision in a dream, which rings in the ears for a moment while it is yet dark in the morning, but is forgotten when the sun rises. By the instrumentality of a just mind Allah caused that which entered at one ear to run out from the other as the rinsing of a water-skin.โ
โGood,โ answered Khaled. โYet it is not well to rinse the brains with falsehoods. And you?โ he inquired, turning to the next. โHave you heard it also?โ
โJust lord, I have heard,โ replied this one. โBut if I have believed, may my head be shaved with a red-hot razor having a jagged edge.โ
โThis is well,โ Khaled said, and he questioned a third.
โO Khaled!โ cried the man. โIs the milk sour, because the slave has imagined a lie saying, โI will say it is bad and then it will be given to me to drinkโ? Or is honey bitter because the cook has put salt in the sweetmeats? Or is it night because the woman has shut the door and the window, to keep out the sun?โ
The next also found an answer, having collected his thoughts while the others were speaking.
โA certain man,โ said he, โkept sheep in Tabal Shammar, and the dog was with the sheep in the fold. Then two foxes came to the fold in the evening and one of them said to the man: โAll dogs are wolves, for we have seen their like in the mountains, and your dog is also a wolf and will eat up your sheep. Make haste to kill him therefore and cast out his carcase.โ And to the sheep the other fox said: โHow many sheep hang by the heels at the butcherโs! And how many dogs live in sheepfolds! This is an evil world for innocent people.โ And the sheep were at first persuaded, but presently the dog ran out and caught one of the foxes and broke his neck, and the man threw a stone at the other and hit him, so that he also died. Then the sheep said one to another: โThe foxes have suffered justly, for they were liars and robbers and the dog and our master have protected us against them, which they would not have done had they desired our destruction.โ And so are the people, O Khaled. For if you let the liars go unhurt the people will believe them, but if you destroy them the faith of the multitude will be turned again to you.โ
โThis is a fable,โ said Khaled, โand it is not without truth. I am the sheepdog and the people are the sheep. But in the name of Allah, which are the foxes?โ
Then he turned to another, an old man who was the Kadi, celebrated for his wisdom and for his religious teaching in the chief mosque.
โI ask you last of all,โ said Khaled, โbecause you are the wisest, and when the wisest words are heard last they are most easily remembered. For we first put water into the lamp, and then oil to float upon the surface, and next the wick, and last of all we take a torch and light the lamp and the darkness disappears. Light our lamp, therefore, O Kadi, and let us see clearly.โ
โO Khaled,โ replied the Kadi, โI am old and have seen the world. You cannot destroy the tree by cutting off one or two of its branches. It is necessary to strike at the root. Now the root of this tree of lies which has grown up is this. Neither we nor the people know whence you are, nor what was your fatherโs name, and though I for my part do not impiously ask whence Allah takes the good gifts which he gives to men, there are many who are not satisfied, and who will go about in jealousy to make trouble until their questioning is answered. If you ask counsel of me, I say, tell us here present of what tribe you are, for we believe you a pure Bedouin like the best of us, and tell us your fatherโs name, and peace be upon him. We are men in authority and will speak to the people, and I will address them from the pulpit of the great mosque,
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