peak to Bekri one day, and he asked him what pleasure he
found in drinking so much raki, and why he disobeyed the laws of the
Prophet. Bekri replied that raki was a boon to man; that it made the
deaf to hear, the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the poor rich,
and that he, Bekri, when drunk, could hear, see, and walk like two
Bekris. The Sultan, to verify the truth of this statement, sent his
servants into the highways to bring four men, the one blind, the
other deaf, the third lame, and the fourth poor. Directly these were
brought, his Majesty ordered raki to be served to them in company with
Bekri. They had not been drinking long when, to the glory of Bekri,
the deaf man said: "I hear the sound of great rumbling."

And the blind man replied: "I can see him; it is an enemy who seeks
our destruction."

The lame man asked where he was, saying, "Show him to me, and I will
quickly despatch him."

And the poor man called out: "Don't be afraid to kill him; I've got
his blood money in my pocket."

Just then a funeral happened to pass by the Palace buildings, and
Bekri got up and ordered the solemn procession to stop. Removing the
lid of the coffin, he whispered a few words into the ear of the dead
man, and then putting his ear to the dead man's mouth, vented an
exclamation of surprise. He then ordered the funeral to proceed, and
returned to the Palace.

The Sultan asked him what he had said to the dead man, and what the
dead man replied.

"I simply asked him where he was going and from what he had died, and
he replied he was going to Paradise, and that he had died from
drinking raki without a meze."

Whereupon the Sultan understanding what he wanted, ordered that the
meze should be immediately served.

ON THE FACE OF THE WATERS.

By FLORA ANNIE STEEL,
_Author of "Miss Stuart's Legacy," "Flower of Forgiveness,"
"Red Rowans," "Tales from the Punjab," etc., etc._

12mo. Cloth. $1.50.

"We have read Mrs. Steel's book with ever-increasing surprise
and admiration. It is the most wonderful picture. We know
that none who lived through the mutiny will lay it down
without a gasp of admiration, and believe that the same
emotion will be felt by thousands to whom the scenes depicted
are but lurid phantasmagoria."--_The Spectator._

TALES OF THE PUNJAB