ud traveled on until he met a rich merchant who was riding
across an ice floe on a camel that was gaily caparisoned and had
trappings of gold and was shod with silver shoes. And the rich merchant
hailed Gud and said: "Whither goest thou on this sleek, icy desert?"

And Gud said: "I go my way rejoicing. But why is your eye so troubled?"

The merchant replied: "I go in search of a strawstack."

When his master said that, the camel stomped on the ice with his silver
shod foot and cut a round hole in the ice and kneeled down and drank his
fill of ice water.

While the camel was kneeling, the rich merchant invited Gud to mount
upon the camel. Gud did so and the camel arose and lumbered on his
slippery way.

The merchant and Gud sat in the howdah and smoked a hooka and told tales
of barter and of gain. This is one of the tales they told, and it
matters not which one told it, for it is a lie anyway.

Chapter XIX

It was a great occasion--every seat
Was filled and jewels sparkled rich and bright--
One almost heard each throbbing heart that beat
As the orchestra filed in that gala night.
The music flared in one triumphal blast,
The leader swung his baton: the curtain rose:
Then the soprano sang of bright skies overcast,
And silence fell upon the watching rows.

Just at that moment, some one in the crowd
Saw wisps of black smoke curl around a board.
He shouted "fire!" It was as though a shroud
Was flung around them by a righteous Lord.

The crowd surged forth like streams that over-flow--
And ran amuck, insane with fear and rage....
Just then an unknown player of the piccolo
Upclambered o'er the footlights to the stage:

"Hold! Hold!" he cried, and waved his piccolo;
"Be calm! There is no danger, if you're quiet!"
Then through the Opera House there echoed low
Such music as would calm the greatest riot.

They faltered, then they heeded his desire,
Then paused to hearken with suspended breath,
And spellbound listened through that awful fire
Till every one of them was burned to death.

Chapter XX

And now the rich merchant pointed out upon the horizon a small speck
which was no larger than a woman's honesty. As the camel journeyed on
toward the horizon the speck grew in size until it was as large as the
hope of inheritance. And when they finally came up to it, behold it was
a st