THE REAL SHEIK

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 300, 10 March 1928, Page 10

THE REAL SHEIK

A SIMPLE FELLOW A party of sheiks—not the film variety—recently visited a small town in the Soudan. Airplanes and cars failed to impress them. But a staircase was an object of veneration. They were familiar with trees growing in groups, but that they should be planted in rows caused great surprise. It was evident that Nature worked miracles or the trees must have walked. Taps amazed them. To turn a screw and see'' water rushing out of a wall seemed absolute magic. “It must be the rod of Moses,” suggested one, and forthwith they went out to buy a supply of taps from the ironmonger. These they intended to hang on their walls, confident that the miracle of running water would be performed. The shopkeeper was, with the greatest difficulty, persuaded to take back his taps and return the money, but the sheiks considered they were being prevented from sharing white-man’s magic, and one by one they re-pur-chased them. Children of the Desert To them the possession of money is the test of a man’s greatness. A Soudanese was once having trouble with his donkey. He had been collecting clover roots. One side of the pannier was stuffed with these: the other, with some instinctive effort to make things balance, he had filled with stones. A Greek clerk came out and suggested that the stones should be thrown away and the clover 'apportioned equally in each pannier. This done, they entered into conversation. “How much do you earn?” asked the native. “About five pounds a month,” was the answer. Astonishment turned to disgust. “Why, I am far richer than that.” he retorted angrily, and began to unload the donkey again. When he had achieved the original arrangement, he forced the animal to struggle along. “If I am richer,” he muttered, “I must be right.” And he made his stumbling way home, convinced that his logic was justified.