1826.) The Moth with the Golden Wings. 501 
partscits: horns were -as: polished steel, bearing two little beads like 
pearls; its body,:as crystal streaked with veins of ruby ; its legs were as 
ariber; and upon'each wimg there was a bright emerald-coloured spot, 
which’) refleeted, the»eye of the beholder. Beber had never in his long 
practice beheld .any insect halfso beautiful; and as it was so pre-emi- 
nently lovely, :the slave, true to the weakness of human nature, thought 
that msect; before any other, should have its liberty—-whereupon he 
carefully: drew the tormenting pin from its body. The Moth fell motion- 
less to: the ground, and Beber feared his mercy was come too late ; when 
being about to stoop towards it, the Moth suddenly sprang intu the air, 
and flew gently and steadily around the head of the slave. As the insect 
moved, a soft entrancing melody was created by the undulations of its 
wings, which fixed Beber with upraised head, open mouth, and out- 
stretched fingers, the scarcely-breathing figure of astonishment. By de- 
grees/the insect comes more closely to him; now it just brushes his 
turban ; it strikes with its golden wings the closed lid of the one-eyed 
Beber, springs through the casement, and vanishes. The slave utters a 
shout of astonishment—covers byturnseach eye with hishand—the lately- 
withered ball/is again awakened to light—Beber is no longer a one-eyed 
man! For some moments he chuckles with an inward delight ; he then 
sinks into a state of dreaminess, from which the appéarance of Sefy, his 
vindictive master, alone arouses him. The old Persian starts on behold- 
ing in his museum a man in every respect like his servant Beber, save in 
the possession of two eyes. Without waiting for any explanation from 
the supposed intruder, Sefy orders his servants to take the slave toa 
distance, there to chastise him for his presumption, and then to search 
for the offending Beber. The menials, sharing in the surprise of ‘their 
master, are puzzled with the person of their prisoner : he is like Beber— 
lame; toothless; has; but one’ good arm—but then his two eyes! It is 
not for them to'ponderon the question; they bear their charge into the 
fields, and: dutifully chastise him. 
And now. behold the unfortunate Beber, left bleeding and exhausted 
at the outskirts-of the city. The bastinado had done its work. “ There 
is but one God, and) Mahomet is his prophet,” sighed forth the unhappy 
man; as he gradually revived to a sense of his miserable condition. 
« Softly, friend Beber ! you have unaccountably gained an eye ; although, 
Lam afraid, against such profit you may put the loss of your other leg.” 
Here the wounds im his feet again began so to throb and smart, that the 
poor fellow swooned under the agony. When he recovered, he saw 
hovering over him the very Moth with the Golden Wings to whom he 
had that day given liberty. The Moth gave every possible sign that 
it recognized its former deliverer ; and, having fluttered round Beber for 
some time, it gradually sank to the soles of his feet, where Beber felt 
the msect fanning with its little wings his smarting wounds: a grateful 
coolness pervades the lacerated parts—the flesh closes—no scars remain 
and Beber, rising from the earth, discovers that he is not only cured 
of his hurts;‘but of his lameness. ‘ There is but one God!” he shouts, 
and throws*himselfround like a dervise. The Moth, although it carefully 
avoids the outstretched and eager hand of Beber, still flies around him, 
and seems by its movements as if it wished to guide the footsteps of its 
preserver. “ Moth of Mahomet !—for you can be no other—I will fol- 
dow you,” exclaimed Beber, and he marched forward. The Moth flew 
to the city of Bassora; and after guiding the astonished and delighted 
