The Two Travelers

Two friends, Ganem and Salem, were journeying together when they came to a broad stream at the foot of a hill. The woods were near, and the shade was so welcome after the heat of the desert that they halted to rest. After they had eaten and slept, they rose to go on. They discovered nearby a white stone nearby, with an inscription written in curious lettering:

Travelers, we have prepared an excellent banquet for your refreshment, but you must be bold and deserve it before you can obtain it. Throw yourselves bravely into the stream and swim to the other side. You will find there a lion carved from marble. Lift this statue upon your shoulders and, with one run, carry it to the top of yonder mountain, never heeding the thorns which prick your feet or the wild beasts that may be lurking in the bushes to devour you. When once you have reached the…