The Continental Monthly, Vol. 1, No. 2, February, 1862: Devoted To Literature And National PolicyVarious
History
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 1, No. 2, February, 1862: Devoted To Literature And National Policy
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- 19th century -- Periodicals
Thunder and furies! A more dreadful domestic scene was never beheld. The
lovely Amina turned black in the face, her eyes bulged out of her head,
she foamed at the mouth, and, seizing a goblet of water, dashed it into
the face of the unfortunate man.
'Take that,' said she, 'and learn to mind your own business.' Whereupon
he became a dog, and a miserable dog at that.
Many adventures he then had. For full particulars, see the Arabian
Nights. He used to fight for a bone, or lick up a mouthful from a
gutter. He had not the spirit to prick up his ears, or to wag or curl up
his tail, if he had one--for, shortly after his transformation, the end
of it was wedged into a door by his wife, and he was cur-tailed.
Happy is he who gets into trouble by necromancy, who can get out of it
by the same. The devil rarely bolts and unbolts his door for his own
guests. He is not wont to say, 'Walk in, my friend,' and afterward,
'Good-by.' But it so turned out in the case of Sid Norman, because he
had not been knowingly bewitched; and Mrs. Amina Ghoul Sid Norman
learned to respect the motto, _Cave canem!_
While his canine sufferings lasted, he fell in with various masters, and
nosed about to see if he could substitute reason for instinct, and get
established on two legs again. He looked up wistfully into the faces of
passers-by, as if to say, 'I am not a dog, but the man for whom a large
reward has been offered.' On one occasion, seeing Amina come from a shop
where she had just purchased a Cashmere shawl of great size and value,
he set his teeth like a steel trap, and made a grab at her ankles. But
she recognized him on all fours, with a diabolical grin, and fetching
him a kick with her little foot, caused him to yelp most pitifully.
Running under a little cart which stood in the way, he skinned his
teeth, and growled to himself, 'By the prophet, but I can almost love
her again; she distinguished herself by that kick, which was aimed with
infinite tact; it went right to the spot, and struck me like a
discharge from a catapult, drove all the wind out of me, and left an
absolute vacuum, as if a stomach-pump had sucked me out.
Yap--yow--eaow--yeaow--yap--snif--xquiz;' and, after a good deal of
panting and distress, he at last yawned so wide as nearly to dislocate
his jaws, sneezed once or twice, and then trotted off on three legs,
with his half a tail tucked up underneath, and lay down disconsolate in
an ash-hole.
'Oh, how distressing it is,' said he, 'to be bewitched by a bad woman!
It metamorphoses one entirely. He loses all semblance to his former
self, parts with all his reason, no more walks upright, and bids
philosophy adieu. One drop from the cup of her incantations, and the
gossamer net-work which she threw about him is changed into prisonbars,
her silken chain into links of forged iron; strong will is dwindled, and
he who on some 'heaven-kissing hill' stood up to gaze upon the stars, is
fit to grovel in a sty.--Miserable dog! Bow-wow, bow-wow!'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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