Show ten i en minute classics famous tales and legends told in brief form zadig a mesopotamian predecessor of sherlock holmes holme s 33 by J UV alk mull U I 1 1 13 eft R by J W muller babylonians Daby Baby lonias ancient ancien land where a B british army was besieged on the tigris river river by tho the turks was wed used by voltaire as 03 the seene scene of Ms his great philosophical romance Zad zadig lg the story told hers portrays zadig in n a role strikingly like that played by conan doyles sherlock holmes olmes II 0 or r poes M H dupire in modern literature era ture in tho the lays ot of king of Baby babelonia Babylon lonia la there dwelt in the city of babylon a rich man named zadig talented accomplished handsome and healthy he still was unhappy lie ile had been disappointed more than once in friendship and finally most sorely in love convinced that destiny llcy alte in watt wait for the ambitious and distinguished ti gui shed lie ho wi withdrew to a simple country homo on the euphrates river being resolved riot not to tempt fate lie he looked about for tin an occupation that promised ohp least possible entangle ment with the woys ways of providence and decided upon tho the study of nature one day ns as ho he strolled in ft a grove near his homo home a troop of officials and slaves ran up to him and asked have you seen the queens dog was it a n small dog asked it if so such a dog hns has posed paste dhere hero 1 it had beautiful long ears and it limped slightly with the right forefoot then you have seen itt it I 1 cried the leader delighted 1 no 11 said zadig 1 I have not seen it in fact I 1 did not even know until this moment that the queen owns a n doo dog before tile the astounded man c could i reply al another lother party of officers and servants appeared exclaiming breathlessly that the kings finest horse had strayed was it bitted with gold asked za dig A horse thus bitted and shod with silver galloped through here it had a magnificent stride and gait and was of the purest blood was not its toll tall ni at least four ani and one halt half feet long yes I 1 yes I 1 said bald the master of horse eagerly in which direction did it run where Is it now 1 I have not seen it answered za deg tills this la Is the first time that I 1 know knew the king had such 1 a I horse tito tho men of both parties sin stared red at each other ahr or a moment then without a word they pounced on with thief 1 you shall learn what it means to trifle iylah ith the property of your ruler I 1 the slaves hustled him to tile the city of babylon not without presenting litin him with many undesired bruises lie ile was led at once before the chief council and cli charged aried with having stolen the dog and tile the 10 ao of the royal family tho the tale told by the officers was so BO convincing that the council did not permit zalig to speak but sentenced him at once to imprisonment for life just bahe lie was being led away begging vainly for leave to say a word in defense messengers arrived with the news that the missing animals lind hod been found tho the council perceived the painful necessity of rescinding rescind ing its sentence but it felt justified in fining zadig ounces or of gold for that lie had not seen something when ho he had already admitted that he liel had seen it again zadar for permission to make a trilling explanation but the judges decided after earnest cartiest consultation that the fine must bo be paid first after which lie ho might add address regi the alto court zadig sent for tho the gold and paid it over with many a sigh then lie ho bowed low and said ott oh stars of justice abysses of wisdom mirrors of truth I 1 since it Is permitted that I 1 speak before your illustrious gathering hear me while I 1 swear by that never did my eyes behold the honored dog of our gracious queen nor the sublime horse of the king of kings I 1 listen oh ob ye pillars of charity and tolerance I 1 I 1 was strolling in the grove when I 1 observed the trall trail left by a small animal in the sand having trained myself to study katurd minutely I 1 know ot at once that it was the track of a log dog and from tho the size and depth of tho the indentations I 1 deduced that eliat it was a small one tiny marks along both sides of the line 0 0 footprints indicated to mo me that the animal lind had very long cars for they hung so oil lov us lie to brush the ground it was an easy matter ott oh morel fut ones to discover that the res respected pecked dog of our most mighty queen limped with one foot if one may venture to utter a remark so disrespectful As to horse of tile tho king of kings continued zadig 1 I saw the hoof prints of a steed and I 1 knew lit at epco that it was of purest blood for no llo other would have had hoofs boots so small email and dainty tho the imprints told we me also os as they would tell anyone who knows horses that it had a ning magnificent ent enk kirlie and that its gait was of the beat befitting its As I 1 followed tile tho trail I 1 reached a D path nth only seven feet wide and I 1 noticed that tile the dut had been swept from the palms on each side 1 I julid th that at thia must have bee been n done by tile the n animals tali and it was to cut cal cuento that the toll tall must be a beautiful one fully four and a halt half feet long 1 I know that it 11 had shoes of silver said paid zadig for I 1 found tho the mark of silver ou on a stone tofit it had spurned in its flight ou on n u rocky wall val la in a narrow ravine I 1 found n mark that told mo me that tho the horse probably wore bits of gold for I 1 saw where we the animal had happened close to a rock and scratched it with its bit thus lie ho concluded bowing again was I 1 abl aileph able ePh ph wells of humanity to describe to the royal officers both the dog and the lie horse though most verily I 1 never had bad seen either cither everybody to so admired wonderful gifts of observation and deduction that tho the queen ordered his alne to be remitted this was done with great ceremony tito tho actuaries court attendants law interpreters and councillors brought the ounces back into the council chamber where it was delivered to Zadig after the court had deducted ducted only SOS ounces for court costs thanked the court heartily for its generosity but when ho he deported departed lie he made the vow that never again would he tell anything that lie ho knew A few weeks later inter a fugitive from justice passed ills his house III in night flight zadig was standing tit nt tho the window and saw him but when the pursuing om ofil core inquired of him lie he declared that lie he was ignorant of anything and everything unfortunately it a witness appeared who had seen zadig nt at the window whereupon the unlucky young man was fined COO ounces of gold with a promptness that discredit did credit to the celerity of tile tho justice in babylon alasi alas I 1 said zadig 1 I know now that it Is lin impossible possIble to evade destiny francois marie arcouet do de voltaire 1694 1604 1778 wrote zadig to 0 o convey in the form of a romance his philosophical ideas regarding human life and destiny I 1 it I 1 is a brilliant satire but its teachings aro are cynt cynical ca I 1 and coldly ini intellectual apart from this however and read purely as it a story it is i s wholly delightful its dual qualities es of entertainment tain taini ment nent and philosophy are equaled only ona in Gul livers travels by jo jonathan ny swift 1667 1745 |