of Allah, O fisherman, do not do that! Spare me and do not bear me malice for what I did, for we Afreets are stupid folk. Let me out, and I will swear to bring thee great riches.' 5 "The fisherman accepted his offer and unsealed the bottle. Then the smoke ascended as before, and gathered itself together, and became an Afreet, who gave the bottle a kick, and sent it in the sea. When the fisherman saw this, he gave himself up for lost. 10 But the Afreet laughed, and started off inland, saying to the fisherman, 'Follow me.' So he followed him, trembling. And he led him to a plain, and in the midst of this lay a lake surrounded by four little hills. He led the fisherman into the lake and bade him throw 15 his net. The fisherman looked into the water, and was astonished to see fish of four colors, white and red and blue and yellow. Then he took his net and cast it, and when he drew it in, he found in it four fish, one of each color. And the Afreet said, 'Carry these 20 to the Sultan and he will reward thee richly.' And so indeed it came to pass.' But when Shahrazad had concluded this story, the king determined to hear still another, and so Shahrazad continued for a thousand and one nights, by which 25 time the king had lost his suspicions of womankind, and they lived happily forever after. Adapted from the translation by E. W. LANE. HELPS TO STUDY At one time the Arabs were a rich people, interested in learning and skilled in architecture. Their religion is called Mohammedanism from Mohammed, who, as they think, was sent by God to teach religion to them. Their name for God is Allah. They also believe in David, Solomon, and other great Hebrew leaders. Saracen means nearly the same as Mohammedan. Where have you seen that word before? 1. Tell the story of the fisherman and the Afreet in your own words. 2. What is an Afreet? 3. How does the Afreet in the story show his stupidity? 4. Who is meant by Allah? 5. Who is Shahrazad? 6. How does she keep up the interest of the King? 7. What country did The Arabian Nights come from? 8. What is another name for the book? 9. What else do you know about the Arabs? For Study with the Glossary: Shahrazad, concluded, Allah, extracted, Afreet, dome, disheveled, forcibly, bonds, exhorted, assured, impression. Phrases: the end of time, embrace the faith, the Most Great Name. Now we come to a little island of poetry surrounded by a sea of prose. It is very different from the poetry in the first half of the Reader, which tells us about heroes and knights, war and magic. The first four of these poems have no story, but they will give you something beautiful to see, something musical to hear, and something wise to remember. The last two tell stories that for years have made people smile. Since we understand poetry better when we read it over and over again, perhaps you will read some of these poems when they are not assigned as lessons. You will enjoy them most if you read them aloud. 5 10 15 20 A PSALM OF LIFE Tell me not, in mournful numbers, And things are not what they seem. And our hearts, though strong and brave, Still, like muffled drums, are beating Funeral marches to the grave. In the world's broad field of battle, Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Trust no future, howe'er pleasant; Lives of great men all remind us And, departing, leave behind us Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o'er life's solemn main, Let us, then, be up and doing, HENRY W. LONGFELLOW. HELPS TO STUDY You already know something about Longfellow's friendly and beautiful way of writing. This poem, composed when he was a young man, is so well known that most of its lines have become common sayings and are quoted by men who have never read it. 5 10 15 It has been translated into numerous foreign languages and has cheered and comforted the people of many countries. When Longfellow wrote the poem he had been thinking about some sad verses that told him that life was not worth living. He put his answer into "A Psalm of Life," and he begins by saying, in the first stanza, that if people dream they must be asleep, and if they sleep all the time it is just the same as if they were dead. 1. What is a psalm? 2. Why is it impossible that life should be a dream? 3. Which stanza explains the difference between the body and the soul? 4. How have you found out by yourself that life is real and earnest? 5. What two stanzas make us think of soldiers? What is the difference between cattle and men? 6. What line tells us that poetry and paintings and music and all other beautiful things last long after the men who made them are dead? Can you think of any ancient country whose art still lives? 7. Which stanza reminds you of Robinson Crusoe? 8. Which line tells us not to think too much about the pleasant things that are going to happen? Why is this good advice? 9. Which line tells us not to think too much about what happened last week or last year? 10. Which stanza hints that we ought to learn all we can about great men and great women? 11. Mention some people who have left "footprints on the sands of time.” 12. Which lines tell us that every day we ought to learn something new and grow kinder and better? 13. Pick out the lines and stanzas that tell us that we ought to act, to do something. 14. Which passages tell us that we ought to act courageously, cheerfully? 15. Repeat the stanza that you like best. For Study with the Glossary: destined, art, fleeting, bivouac, sublime, fate, achieving, mournful numbers, "Dust thou art, to dust returnest," heart within. |