upon a time, about fifteen hundred years ago, seven young men lived near

each other in Ephesus, who belonged to the despised sect of the

Christians. It came to pass that the good King Maximilianus, (I am

telling this story for nice little boys and girls,) it came to pass, I

say, that the good King Maximilianus fell to persecuting the Christians,

and as time rolled on he made it very warm for them. So the seven young

men said one to the other, let us get up and travel. And they got up and

traveled. They tarried not to bid their fathers and mothers good-bye, or

any friend they knew. They only took certain moneys which their parents

had, and garments that belonged unto their friends, whereby they might

remember them when far away; and they took also the dog Ketmehr, which

was the property of their neighbor Malchus, because the beast did run his

head into a noose which one of the young men was carrying carelessly, and

they had not time to release him; and they took also certain chickens

that seemed lonely in the neighboring coops, and likewise some bottles of

curious liquors that stood near the grocer's window; and then they

departed from the city. By-and-by they came to a marvelous cave in the

Hill of Pion and entered into it and feasted, and presently they hurried

on again. But they forgot the bottles of curious liquors, and left them

behind. They traveled in many lands, and had many strange adventures.

They were virtuous young men, and lost no opportunity that fell in their

way to make their livelihood. Their motto was in these words, namely,

"Procrastination is the thief of time." And so, whenever they did come

upon a man who was alone, they said, Behold, this person hath the

wherewithal--let us go through him. And they went through him. At the

end of five years they had waxed tired of travel and adventure, and

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The Innocents Abroad