Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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U chanced that this cloor-way led into the Assembly Hall of tht; gods. At that moment Boreas was setting torth to the Immortals l i- bitter complaints against Xeptune, charging the sea-king with unjust:- Tiable interference with the winds passing over his domains. The god of the W inds was just reaching towards a grand rhetorical climax when Rustum-al-Ali made his precipitate entry. Wiio art thou. ' thundered Boreas, enraged at so untimely a inter ruption. A-a god. panted Rustmn, the holy ele])hant ' s advice recalled sharpl ,■ to his memory when he perceived that the attendants of the gods were ringeruig the hilts of their bright, sharp scimitars. A god should not behave in so undignified a manner, declared n prim-looking goddess, severely. 1-1 am one of the lesser gods, stammered Rustum — the ver, lesser lie added, with a deprecating wave of the hand. Ah ! said Boreas in a that-explains-it ' tone, and proceeded with his harangue. To escape the indignant glances of the audience of Immortals, Rustum sought a door-way opposite to that by which he had so hastil, entered. He soon foimd himself in a magnificent garden al)la .e with gorgeous tropical flowers. Seating himself under a wide-spreading ' tree he began to review the incidents that led to his entrance into heaven, with man . a bitter thought for the cunning beggar and his impossible riddle. But now that 1 am here in the very abode of the gods, 1 shall surelv be able to discover the gate of man, he thought. Mortal, what dost thou here. ' came a hoarse voice from somewhere above him. Rustum leaped to his feet in terror, his knees knocking together, then threw himself prostrate upon the ground, crying: Mercy! mercy! How earnest thou here, miserable human? repeated the strange, awful voice. 1 am discovered! was the unhappy Rustum ' s inward thought. Aloud, he said: O great and invisible god! the holy elephants bore me hither. What wouldst thou? demanded the harsh v oice. 1 would know what gate the gods hold in store for man when he shall have so increased that no room shall be left him on earth, answered Rustum more boldly, inspired by the hope that the great mysterious god would grant him the desired information. Ho! said the voice; then, after a pause: I am coming ' down to thee. These words sent the crouching Rustum to his feet with astonishing- rapidity, and in the same moment he was leaping over the bright flower- beds with an agility that would have made a monkey envious. Nor did he look backward, else he might have perceived a great comi-notion in the branches of the tree under which he had but lately been so quietly sitting. But he had not gone far when his flight was abruptly arrested. A great hand seized the neck of his garments from behind and shook him till the poor man ' s senses reeled, then the hand swung him sharply round, and the 11

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deed, for a moment or two poor Rustum was quite bereft of speech ; and it was all he could do to get his thoughts back again into their proper pigeon-holes, and answer the questioner with some degree of composure. Thine is a problem that can only find an answer after prajer and inler -ention with the gods. replied Rustum. The extreme heat ' ' — taking lip a fan and waving it energetically — doth pass upon the spirits of the Immortals, and doth make them ungentle listeners to our feeble prayers. Alayhap the gods have ever sought the cooler skies of the West — a great distance for my prayer to travel. But if thy road be this way this day twelve months, my voice may bv then have penetrated to the ears of the gods, and I will be able to furnish thee with thine answer. This day twelve-month, then, said the beggar, and chuckling in- wardly at his host ' s discomfiture, departed. Alas! moaned poor Rustum, when left alone, he is surel 7 a learned man who is endeavouring to rob me of my reputation that he might take m ,- place as wise man of the village. To make himself reach as near as possible to the ears of the hob ' ones, and to make sure that his prayers would reach their destination, Rustum climbed to the very peak of an extremely high mountain, and al in the heat of noon-day. For surely if I so toil, thought he, the gods will hear me graciously. A.s he prayed upon the mountain pinnacle, a cloud drifted over him, bearing from their secret pasture-lands upon earth, a herd of holy ele- phants belonging to the gods. The leader, espying Rustum, extended his trunk, and whisked the startled mortal into the cloud. The cloud had entered the portals of heaven, before Rustum recovered his senses. Where am I? he asked in a dazed voice. In the abode of the gods, answered the elephant, setting him down, Then my prayers have ])een answered! ejaculated Rustum, fer- vently. Wilt thou, O most hol - Elephant, lead me into the presence of the gods? I have a petition that must be urged. Thou art a daring mortal, answered the elephant. But if thou wonldst behold the grace of the gods, and live, claim the garment of divinity, and acknowledge thyself as no less a being than one of the Immortal host. And the elephant winked knowingly. Rustum, who had never seen an elephant wink, beheld the opera- tion with fascinated wonder. Can they brethren, O holy Elephant, vvink too? he asked with in- terest. Impudent, cried the elephant, a loud and angry trumpeting issuing irom his sacred throat, and prepared to make a charge at Rustum. The latter, without waiting to offer apologies, took to his heels; and seeing an open door-way, made for it with all possible speed, his one thought to escape the wrath of the holy elephant. 10

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trembling: Rustum found himself gazing into the grinning visage of a mons- ■ rous white ape. • , . Not so fast, mortal, cried the ape in the deep, guttural tones that had hrst so alarmed the wise mail. Oh holy ape, do not betray me to the wrath of the gods! implored the wretched man. The sacred ape vouchsafed no reply, but flinging Rustum over his shoulder, proceeded with long, swinging strides in the direction of the open portal of the Hall of Assembly. Entering, the great beast made his wa toward the dais from which not long before Boreas had addressed the divine audience. With one powerful arm the white ape held high, before the astonished gaze of the Immortals. Rustum ' s limp body, and cried in his mighty voice : Mortal feet have polluted the sacred precincts of our abode ! So to Rustum ' s confused senses came the sound of angr,-, protesting voices, one and all denouncing the human in their midst. Gathering to- gether what breath remained to him, the poor wise man shouted with all his might : I am a god ! I am a god ! I am a god ! Both Rustum and the outraged populace of the heavens ceased their clamour, while Boreas spoke. Let it not be said that the gods dealt unfairly with a mortal, he declared. Let him walk the heavenly floor. If he be immortal, he will survive the trial. This suggestion received the approbation of all but the sacred ape. When it comes to roses, growled he, a god is out of the running with an ape Then sniffling the air, he added decidedly: I am not mistaken, this is a mortal. Notwithstanding the ape ' s disa pproval. Rustum, all the gods and god- dresses thronging round, was led by Boreas down a flight of marble steps, from the foot of which stretched a level floor of gold so bright that Rus- tum ' s eyes were dazzled. What am I to do? asked he, bewildered, when they had reached the last step. You are to proceed five hundred paces over the sacred way which none but Immortal feet may tread in safety, said Boreas. The floor is filled with many a hole — Rustum groaned — - called by mortals stars. But tis only the gleam of the sacred way piercing to the underside of blue, commonly known as the sky. If you be mortal — in a stern tone — you will surely fall, and your body be hurled through space. As to whether you would in that case reach your native earth, he added with a shrug- of his massive shoulders, I cannot tell you. Rustum, trembling, set out on his treacherous path. I am lost, he cried aloud. Scarcely were the words uttered than he felt his foothold giving way. Next instant he was toppling head over heals into space, and, iri his dizzy somersaults, was catching a glimpse now of the rapidly-nearing earth, now of the treacherous star-points glimmering in the sky. So great was the excitement among the Immortals, that one and all, 12