The shopkeeper, on being expostulated with for his apparent faith in this absurd nostrum, frankly acknowledged that it was a superstition, but added that he had no doubt of its practical utility in many cases. From the tone of his remarks, indeed, it was evident that he had been resorting to it in the case of his own children.—Glasgow Mail.
An Egyptian Variant of Sindbad.—Among the papers read before the Berlin Congress of Orientalists in 1881, and printed in the Verhandlungen (part iii. pp. 100-120), is one by M. W. Golénischeff, of St. Petersburg, on an old Egyptian tale which presents analogies to certain episodes in the tale of Sindbad. As M. Golénischeff promises a transcript and translation of the papyrus, folklorists will soon be in a position to judge for themselves of the exact relation between the Egyptian and Arabian tales. For the present, it may be of interest to reproduce a summary of the leading incidents of the title, as presented by M. Golénischeff to the Congress. The papyrus is said to be, approximately, about 4,000 years old.
The narrator says that he embarked in a large vessel, and was overtaken by a storm. All the sailors were drowned, but the narrator was saved by a plank, and reached the shore of an island, in which he found food and fruit of the most excellent description. Suddenly he heard a sound of thunder, and beheld a serpent approach. Its rings were encrusted with gold, and its colour was of lapis lazuli. In reply to the enquiry of the serpent as to how he came there, the narrator tells the story of his shipwreck. The serpent comforts him, because it is God who has brought him to the enchanted island; and, after four months, another ship will arrive which will carry him safely home. The serpent then tells him sundry details about the serpent family, and again comforts the narrator. The latter promises that Pharaoh will give the serpent rare cassia, and incense, and treasure of all kinds out of Egypt. But the serpent smiles, and says that he has all the rarest cassia and incense of Egypt, and anti perfume as well, which the Egyptians had not. Only one Egyptian incense was lacking [but this Pharaoh could not supply —because] "after your departure you will never again see this island, which will be transformed into waves." Then the ship came, as the serpent prophesied, and the serpent loaded the narrator with all manner of good things, not omitting the anti perfume, and so he got safely home.
