Page 165 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (3)_Neat

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4 NEGLECTED ARABIA
“Tuqq,” (We should say “Pop”) from the hole and when the rope '<
was drawn up half the sheep came with it. The monster below had ■
burst itself with eating. $
When it appeared that the thing in the pit was dead, men began V
to think of the Rupees 700 reward (about $260.00) which had been
offered to anyone who would descend into the hole. By and by !-■
one Arab said that he was so poor that he might as well die, and **
if he survived, the Rupees 700-—would make life worth living. So j
he took the money, handed it over to his weeping wife, and allowed '**
the others to lower away, taking with him an electric torch and |j|
revolver. j|j
At the bottom of the well he saw u huge beast which proved, o#*£
investigation, to be dead. It was a monstrous serpent with eyes ^
as big as saucers. Others say that it was a lion, others that it was r'
“big like an elephant.” But the general consensus is that it was *
a dragon, the like of which was never seen anywhere else at any <1
time. Could not Allah, the Omnipotent, create an animal different ^
from any of his other creatures? ••
There is further discussion as to whether or not the carcass wii 'i
hauled out. Some do not mention the final disposal of the bean,dj
but others go so far as to maintain that it was brought to Mo»j *
and placed in the Police Station. .
The Arab soon returned to the surface and asked that another'm
man join in exploring the cavern. One was found, and with him 9
he divided his reward equally, each taking Rupees 350—. (To Q}( M
this is the most incredible detail of all.) • Together they made th« *3
descent. Thorough examination of the great well revealed a small -M
doorway, evidently leading to another chamber. One of the me® 5
was for entering it, the other, satisfied with God’s having preserved
his life so far, demurred at going farther. But the counsel of courage J
finally prevailed and they went in. Beyond that doorway they-4
found themselves in a large yard, full of beautiful trees and iur»3
rounded by spacious rooms. In the yard were three springs. Fro^’l
one the water came out yellow, from another white and from the S
third, red; or black or green according to conflicting reports*
One man washed in the yellow spring and found that a heavy.
deposit was left on his hands, face and beard. The other had
similar experience with the white spring. On returning to
surface they foun4 that the yellow deposit wus gold und the
one silver. *
This last discovery caused so much excitement that the momk
of the hole was shut and put under guard. There are to be aq-
more investigations until it is decided to whom such ^hluabli;
springs shall belong, to the British Government—because Briliifc •
officials took part in the exploring operations-7-or to the Iraq Gov*
ernment—because the land is in Iraq.
(Six weeks after the above was first reported the missionaries hat
not been able to learn what basis of fact, if any, had given rise t|.
this marvelous tale. It may be that another genius such as the 094]
who created the first “Arabian Nights’ has arisen and will-
the world another volume of those famous stories.)
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