"Tale of Jerusalem" - читать интересную книгу автора (Poe Edgar Allan)

By the assistance of some rudely constructed machinery, the
heavily laden basket was now carefully lowered down among the
multitude; and, from the giddy pinnacle, the Romans were seen
gathering confusedly round it; but owing to the vast height and the
prevalence of a fog, no distinct view of their operations could be
obtained.
Half an hour had already elapsed.
"We shall be too late!" sighed the Pharisee, as at the expiration of
this period, he looked over into the abyss- "we shall be too late! we
shall be turned out of office by the Katholim."
"No more," responded Abel-Phittim,- "no more shall we feast upon
the fat of the land- no longer shall our beards be odorous with
frankincense- our loins girded up with fine linen from the Temple."
"Raca!" swore Ben-Levi, "Raca! do they mean to defraud us of the
purchase money? or, Holy Moses! are they weighing the shekels of the
tabernacle?
"They have given the signal at last!" cried the Pharisee- "they
have given the signal at last!- pull away, Abel-Phittim!- and thou,
Buzi-Ben-Levi, pull away!- for verily the Philistines have either
still hold upon the basket, or the Lord hath softened their hearts to
place therein a beast of good weight!" And the Gizbarim pulled away,
while their burthen swung heavily upwards through the still increasing
mist.

"Booshoh he!"- as, at the conclusion of an hour, some object at the
extremity of the rope became indistinctly visible- "Booshoh he!" was
the exclamation which burst from the lips of Ben-Levi.
"Booshoh he!- for shame!- it is a ram from the thickets of Engedi,
and as rugged as the valley of Jehosaphat!"
"It is a firstling of the flock," said Abel-Phittim, "I know him
by the bleating of his lips, and the innocent folding of his limbs.
His eyes are more beautiful than the jewels of the Pectoral, and his
flesh is like the honey of Hebron."
"It is a fatted calf from the pastures of Bashan," said the
Pharisee, "the heathen have dealt wonderfully with us!- let us raise
up our voices in a psalm!- let us give thanks on the shawm and on the
psaltery- on the harp and on the huggab- on the cythern and on the
sackbutt"
It was not until the basket had arrived within a few feet of the
Gizbarium, that a low grunt betrayed to their perception a hog of no
common size.
"Now El Emanu!" slowly, and with upturned eyes ejaculated the
trio, as, letting go their hold, the emancipated porker tumbled
headlong among the Philistines, "El Emanu!- God be with us- it is the
unutterable flesh!"


-THE END-
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