EGYPT — NEWBEKRY ^ 459 



no one would be a bit the wiser if he Avere to feed his dumb ward with 

 4 pounds and dispose of the remaining two for his own benefit. 

 This he did, until the lion gradually lost his sleekness and vigor, 

 so as to attract the attention of his royal master. ' There must be 

 something wrong,' said he ; ' I shall appoint a superior officer to make 

 sure that the former faithfully does his duty.' No sooner was the 

 plan adopted than the first goes to his new overseer, and convincing 

 him very readily that if the proceeds of 2 pounds be conveyed 

 to their pockets, the meat would be far better employed than in feed- 

 ing the lion, they agreed to keep their own counsel and share the 

 profit between them. But the thirst of the newcomer soon becomes 

 jtleasantly excited by the sweets of peculation. He talks the matter 

 over with his subordinate, and they have no difficulty in discovering 

 that the lion might very well be reduced to 3 pounds a day. Droop- 

 ing and emaciated, the poor beast pines in his cage, and the sultan 

 ii. more perplexed than before. 'A third official shall be ordered,' 

 he declares, ' to inspect the other two ' ; and so it was. But they only 

 wait for his first visit to demonstrate to him the folly of throwing 

 away the Avhole 6 pounds of meat upon the lion, when with so little 

 trouble they could retain 3, 1 apiece, for themselves. In turn his 

 appetite is quickened and he sees no reason why 4 pounds should not 

 be abstracted from his ward's allowance. The brute, he states to 

 his colleagues, can do very well on 2, and if not, he can speak to 

 nobody in complaint, so why need they lose the gain ? And thus the 

 lion, reduced to starvation point, languishes on, robbed and preyed 

 upon by the overseers set to care for him, whose multiplication has 

 but added to his miseries." 



