Page:Folk-lore of the Holy Land.djvu/177

to the Sheykh el Islâm for instruction. His suspicions roused, he commanded that the supposed Christian should be brought to him privately. The Sultan knew him at a glance, in spite of his disguise and long hair, and sternly inquired what was meant by this mummery. “O Ruler of the Age!” replied the scamp, falling at his feet, “Your Majesty advised me to ‘heylim’ and I, obeying the precept, have found it profitable.” He then told his story, which greatly amused the Sultan, who sent word to the Sheykh el Islâm that he himself would be responsible for the further progress of the interesting convert, who would remain in the palace as his guest. After this, having commanded the palace barber to attend the rogue, and dressed him in clothes befitting a true believer, he made him one of his private secretaries, and by degrees advanced him to higher posts in the Government. Ever since that time the plain rule “Heylim,” or in other words, “kiss a dog on his mouth till you have got what you want from him,”^[1] has been well observed in the East.

III

A wealthy merchant had three sons. He himself was growing old and felt in doubt how to arrange for the management of the property after his death; because, although his sons were grown-up men,