The Women of the Arabs eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 357 pages of information about The Women of the Arabs.

The Women of the Arabs eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 357 pages of information about The Women of the Arabs.

Once there was a Lion who had a son, and he always charged him, saying, my son, beware of Ibn Adam.  But at length the old Lion died, and the young lion resolved that he would search through the world and see that wonderful animal called Ibn Adam, of whom his father had so often warned him.  So out he went from his cave, and walked to and fro in the wilderness.  At length he saw a huge animal coming towards him, with long crooked legs and neck, and running at the top of his speed.  It was a Camel.  But when the Lion saw his enormous size and rapid pace, he said, surely, this must be Ibn Adam himself.  So he ran towards him and roared a fearful roar.  Stop where you are!  The Camel stopped, trembling with fear of the Lion.  Said the Lion, are you Ibn Adam?  No, said the Camel, I am a Camel fleeing from Ibn Adam.  Said the Lion, and what did Ibn Adam do to you that you should flee from him?  The Camel said, he loaded me with heavy burdens, and beat me cruelly, and when I found a fit chance, I fled from him to this wilderness.  Said the Lion, is Ibn Adam stronger than you are?  Yes indeed, many times stronger.  Then the Lion was filled with terror, lest he too should fall into the hands of Ibn Adam, and he left the Camel to go his way in peace.  After a little while, an Ox passed by, and the Lion said, this must be Ibn Adam.  But he found that he too was fleeing from the yoke and the goad of Ibn Adam.  Then he met a Horse running fleet as the wind, and he said, this swift animal must be the famous Ibn Adam, but the Horse too was running away from the halter, the bridle the spur or the harness of the terrible Ibn Adam.  Then he met a mule, a donkey, a buffalo and an elephant, and all were running in terror of Ibn Adam.  The Lion thought what terrible monster must he be to have struck terror into all these monstrous animals!  And on he went trembling, until hunger drove him to a forest to seek for prey to eat.  While he was searching through the forest, lo and behold, a Carpenter was at work cutting wood.  The Lion wondered at his curious form, and said, who knows but this may be Ibn Adam?  So he came near and asked him saying, Are you Ibn Adam?  He replied, I am.  Then the Lion roared a fearful roar, and said, prepare for battle with the Lion, the king of beasts!  Then Ibn Adam said:  What do you want of me?  Said the Lion, I want to devour you.  Very well, said the Carpenter, wait until I can get my claws ready.  I will go and take this wood yonder, and then I will return and fight you.  If you kill me, eat me, and if I conquer you I will let you go, for we the sons of Adam do not eat the flesh of wild beasts, nor do we kill them, but we let them go.  The Lion was deceived by those artful words, for he had seen the Camel and his companions running away, and he thought within himself, now, if Ibn Adam did really eat the flesh of beasts, he would not have let the Camel and the Horse, the Buffalo and the Mule escape into the desert.  So he said to the Carpenter very well, I will wait

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The Women of the Arabs from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.