Sham S. Misri
There was an emperor, who, by accident, had lost his eyesight. To listen to his people he hung a bell in his palace. Any one who had a complaint would pull the rope and thus ring the bell. When the bell rang, a judge would listen to the complaint.
It so happened, that a serpent had built its home in a hole from where the bell hung, and to which a rope was attached. One day, the little serpents left the place in search of food. While they were out, a toad came and sat in their place. When the serpent came back, the toad did not leave the hole.
The serpent tried very hard but could not drive the toad out. The serpent coiled its tail about the bell-rope, and rang the bell of justice. The judge came down and saw nobody there and went back. Again the serpent rang the bell. This time the judge looked about with care and saw the serpent. The serpent pleaded that the toad had entered his hole when it was out in search of food. He went back to the emperor and told him what he had seen and heard.
"It is very clear," said the emperor, "that the toad is in the wrong. Go down, drive out the toad, kill it, and let the serpent have its place again."
All this was done. After some days when the emperor lay in his bed, the serpent came into the room, and moved towards the emperor's bed. When the servants saw the serpent they tried to drive it out or even kill it. The emperor forbade them, and told them not to kill the serpent.
"It will do me no harm," said the emperor; "I have been just and good to it. Let us see what it will do."
The serpent crawled up the bed and laid a precious stone, which it carried in its mouth, upon the emperor's eyes. Then it slipped out of the room and no one saw it again. When stone was laid on the eyes of the emperor, his sight was restored. From that day he could see well as other men.
Books by the Author(s)
Cleopatra and Harmachis - Part-2: The Finding of Treasure
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