must know
me for a man of the most extensive learning, of the most profound
experience in all branches of knowledge. But hold! You cannot measure
the degree of my information by your scale, since you are ignorant of
the wonderful world in which I and my people live. How would you feel
astonished if your mind could be opened to that world! it would seem to
you a realm of the strangest and most incomprehensible wonders, and
hence you must not feel surprised, if all which originates from that
world should seem to you like a confused fairy-tale, invented by an
idle brain. Do not, therefore, allow yourself to be confounded, but
trust my words.--See; in many things my people are far superior to you
men; for example--in all that regards the penetrating into the
mysteries of nature, in strength, dexterity,--spiritual and corporeal
dexterity. But we, too, have our passions; and with us, as with you,
these are often the sources of great disquietudes, sometimes even of
total destruction. Loved, nay adored, as I was, by my people, my
mastery might have placed me upon the pinnacle of happiness, had I not
been blinded by an unfortunate passion for a person who completely
governed me, though she never could be my wife. But our race is in
general reproached with a passion for the fair sex, that oversteps the
bounds of decorum. Supposing, however, this reproach to be true, yet,
on the other hand, every one knows----but hold--without more
circumlocution--I saw the daughter of King Sekakis, the beautiful
Gamaheh, and on the instant became so desperately enamoured of her,
that I forgot my people, myself, and lived only in the delight of
skipping about the fairest neck, the fairest bosom, and tickling the
beauty with kisses. She often caught at me with her rosy fingers,
without ever being able to seize me, and this I took for the toying of
affection. But how silly is any one in love, even when that one is
Master Flea. Suffice it to say, that the odious Leech-Prince fell upon
the poor Gamaheh, whom he kissed to death; but still I should have
succeeded in saving my beloved, if a silly boaster and an awkward ideot
had not interfered without being asked, and spoilt all. The boaster was
the Thistle, Zeherit, and the ideot was the Genius, Thetel. When,
however, the Genius rose in the air with the sleeping princess, I clung
fast to the lace about her bosom, and thus was Gamaheh's faithful
fellow-traveller, without being perceived by him. It happen