the whole country," said he, "whereas you dare not show your noses beyond your walls for fear of the snake. Go and present your

freedom to him; for

to the city of Guz."

my part I am bound

"You will at least

permit us," said the Corporation, “to accompany you in procession to the gates?" But Ali watched his opportunity, and departed without any ceremony at all.

In the mean time the Spirit of Imitation, who had a temple within the city, began to inspire his votaries. Palm oil and bottles rose fifty per cent.; and before Ali had gone a league he was joined by a dozen companions, and not a man of them but was prepared to mount a tree, and anoint the stem à-la-Mát-de-Cocagne. So much society was far from agreeable to the Cynic; who consoled himself, however, by sneering in

his sleeve at their folly, which he foresaw would seat them sooner or later on their stool of repentance. And the matter fell out to his most cynical wish. They had travelled but about six leagues on their way, when a dark speck appeared on the horizon; at first only as big as a fly, but progressively increasing in dimensions to a chafer, a wren, a sparrow, a hawk, an eagle, and lastly, what indeed it was, a full-grown Rok! O, ye imitative crew, what a rok to split upon! For a while he hovered dark and vast, like the Cloud of Destiny, over their devoted heads: he had only to stoop and conquer, and he soon stooped with a vengeance. In vain the infatuated climbed the nearest trees, and emptied their bottles of oil. Souse came the enemy, off went their turbans, and out came their brains, such as they were, which

the winged Heliogabalus devoured as greedily as if they had come out of the skulls of peacocks. As for Nous, he had provided himself with a huge umbrella, made very stout and stiff, with a long sharp spike at the top, under which he took shelter; and having a good Fence was enabled to set the Beak at defiance. In fact, after several attacks, in which the bird suffered the most, the Rok gave up the point, and flying away, left Ali to pursue his journey.

As usual, it excited the utmost amazement in the people of Guz when the Cynic entered their city; and they fell one and all into the old chorus-" How did you get here? Did you see the Rok?" &c., &c. Whereupon Nous told his story as briefly as before, saying as little as possible, which was nothing at all, about his late associates. "Holy Prophet!"

cried the people, "and yet we have Councillors, and Elders, and Tacticians, and Ornithologists, and Bird Catchers, and Prognosticators of Rain, and nobody ever thought of an umbrella!" And the King wished to confer on the long-bearded Stranger the ancient Order of the Ass of the First Class ; but Nous declined the distinction, modestly observing that he had done nothing to deserve it. However, the Authorities resolved on getting up a Grand Banquet: but it being against etiquette to accept an invitation under a month to run, the Philosopher in the meantime got out of patience, and after dining by himself at three farthings a-head, set out for the city of Jug.

He had gone but a little way when he turned to look behind him, and exactly as he anticipated, he beheld a company of

imitators running after him with just as many umbrellas. They soon came up, and began all at once bawling into his ears, and displaying their contrivances to the imminent danger of his eyes.

spike," said one, "it is three

"Look at this

spans in length."

"Feel mine," said another, "it is as sharp "As for mine," said a third,

as a needle," running it as near as might be into Ali's ear, "it is not only sharp, but envenomed to boot." "May you kill all the roks between this and Jug," muttered the Cynic, and it was not long before the merits of their weapons were put to the test. "Allah preserve us!" exclaimed Nous, looking anxiously towards the East, at which warning the rest of the company precipitately unfurled their umbrellas, under which they squatted down, and with closed eyes awaited the