Hetrudgedmanyamile，andatlastcametoawood。Inthewoodwasahut，andinthehutsatanold，oldwoman，themotherofpeasantsoldiers，spinningflaxandweeping。Andasshespunshedidnotputherfingerstohermouthtowetthemwithspittle，buttohereyestowetthemwithtears。WhentheoldwomansawEmelyá；nshecriedoutathim:’Whyhaveyoucomehere？’ThenEmelyá；ngaveherthespindle，andsaidhiswifehadsentit。
　　Theoldwomansoftenedatonce，andbegantoquestionhim。AndEmelyá；ntoldherhiswholelife:howhemarriedthelass；howtheywenttoliveinthetown；howhehadworked，andwhathehaddoneatthepalace；howhebuiltthecathedral，andmadeariverwithshipsonit，andhowtheKinghadnowtoldhimtogoto’there，don’tknowwhere，andbringback’that，don’tknowwhat。’
　　TheGrandamlistenedtotheend，andceasedweeping。Shemutteredtoherself:’Thetimehassurelycome，’andsaidtohim:’Allright，mylad。Sitdownnow，andIwillgiveyousomethingtoeat。’
　　Emelyá；nate，andthentheGrandamtoldhimwhattodo。’Here，’
　　saidshe，’isaballofthread；rollitbeforeyou，andfollowwhereitgoes。Youmustgofartillyoucomerighttothesea。Whenyougetthereyouwillseeagreatcity。Enterthecityandaskforanight’slodgingatthefurthesthouse。Therelookoutforwhatyouareseeking。’
　　’HowshallIknowitwhenIseeit，Granny？’saidhe。
　　’Whenyouseesomethingmenobeymorethanfatherormother，thatisit。Seizethat，andtakeittotheKing。WhenyoubringittotheKing，hewillsayitisnotright，andyoumustanswer:“Ifitisnottherightthingitmustbesmashed，“andyoumustbeatit，andcarryittotheriver，breakitinpieces，andthrowitintothewater。
　　Thenyouwillgetyourwifebackandmytearswillbedried。’
　　Emelyá；nbadefarewelltotheGrandamandbeganrollinghisballbeforehim。Itrolledandrolleduntilatlastitreachedthesea。Bytheseastoodagreatcity，andatthefurtherendofthecitywasabighouse。ThereEmelyá；nbeggedforanight’slodging，andwasgrantedit。Helaydowntosleep，andinthemorningawokeandheardafatherrousinghissontogoandcutwoodforthefire。Butthesondidnotobey。’Itistooearly，’saidhe，’thereistimeenough。’
　　ThenEmelyá；nheardthemothersay，’Go，myson，yourfather’sbonesache；wouldyouhavehimgohimself？Itistimetobeup！’
　　Butthesononlymurmuredsomewordsandfellasleepagain。Hardlywasheasleepwhensomethingthunderedandrattledinthestreet。Upjumpedthesonandquicklyputtingonhisclothesranoutintothestreet。UpjumpedEmelyá；n，too，andranafterhimtoseewhatitwasthatasonobeysmorethanfatherormother。Whathesawwasamanwalkingalongthestreetcarrying，tiedtohisstomach，athingwhichhebeatwithsticks，andthatitwasthatrattledandthunderedso，andthatthesonhadobeyed。Emelyá；nranupandhadalookatit。Hesawitwasround，likeasmalltub，withaskinstretchedoverbothends，andheaskedwhatitwascalled。
　　Hewastold，’Adrum。’
　　’Andisitempty？’
　　’Yes，itisempty。’
　　Emelyá；nwassurprised。Heaskedthemtogivethethingtohim，buttheywouldnot。SoEmelyá；nleftoffasking，andfollowedthedrummer。Alldayhefollowed，andwhenthedrummeratlastlaydowntosleep，Emelyá；nsnatchedthedrumfromhimandranawaywithit。
　　Heranandran，tillatlasthegotbacktohisowntown。Hewenttoseehiswife，butshewasnotathome。Thedayafterhewentaway，theKinghadtakenher。SoEmelyá；nwenttothepalace，andsentinamessagetotheKing:’Hehasreturnedwhowentto“there，don’tknowwhere，“andhehasbroughtwithhim“that，don’tknowwhat。“’
　　TheytoldtheKing，andtheKingsaidhewastocomeagainnextday。
　　ButEmelyá；nsaid，’TelltheKingIamhereto-day，andhavebroughtwhattheKingwanted。Lethimcomeouttome，orIwillgointohim！’
　　TheKingcameout。’Wherehaveyoubeen？’saidhe。
　　Emelyá；ntoldhim。
　　’That’snottherightplace，’saidtheKing。’Whathaveyoubrought？’
　　Emelyá；npointedtothedrum，buttheKingdidnotlookatit。
　　’Thatisnotit。’
　　’Ifitisnottherightthing，’saidEmelyá；n，’itmustbesmashed，andmaythedeviltakeit！’
　　AndEmelyá；nleftthepalace，carryingthedrumandbeatingit。
　　AndashebeatitalltheKing’sarmyranouttofollowEmelyá；n，andtheysalutedhimandwaitedhiscommands。
　　TheKing，fromhiswindow，begantoshoutathisarmytellingthemnottofollowEmelyá；n。Theydidnotlistentowhathesaid，butallfollowedEmelyá；n。
　　WhentheKingsawthat，hegaveordersthatEmelyá；n’swifeshouldbetakenbacktohim，andhesenttoaskEmelyá；ntogivehimthedrum。
　　’Itcan’tbedone，’saidEmelyá；n。’Iwastoldtosmashitandtothrowthesplintersintotheriver。’
　　SoEmelyá；nwentdowntotherivercarryingthedrum，andthesoldiersfollowedhim。WhenhereachedtheriverbankEmelyá；nsmashedthedrumtosplinters，andthrewthesplintersintothestream。
　　Andthenallthesoldiersranaway。
　　Emelyá；ntookhiswifeandwenthomewithher。AndafterthattheKingceasedtotroublehim；andsotheylivedhappilyeverafter。
　　INthetownofSurat，inIndia，wasacoffee-housewheremanytravellersandforeignersfromallpartsoftheworldmetandconversed。
　　OnedayalearnedPersiantheologianvisitedthiscoffee-house。HewasamanwhohadspenthislifestudyingthenatureoftheDeity，andreadingandwritingbooksuponthesubject。Hehadthought，read，andwrittensomuchaboutGod，thateventuallyhelosthiswitsbecamequiteconfused，andceasedeventobelieveintheexistenceofaGod。TheShah，hearingofthis，hadbanishedhimfromPersia。
　　AfterhavingarguedallhislifeabouttheFirstCause，thisunfortunatetheologianhadendedbyquiteperplexinghimself，andinsteadofunderstandingthathehadlosthisownreason，hebegantothinkthattherewasnohigherReasoncontrollingtheuniverse。
　　ThismanhadanAfricanslavewhofollowedhimeverywhere。Whenthetheologianenteredthecoffeehouse，theslaveremainedoutside，nearthedoorsittingonastoneintheglareofthesun，anddrivingawaythefliesthatbuzzedaroundhim。ThePersianhavingsettleddownonadivaninthecoffee-house，orderedhimselfacupofopium。Whenhehaddrunkitandtheopiumhadbeguntoquickentheworkingsofhisbrain，headdressedhisslavethroughtheopendoor:
　　’Tellme，wretchedslave，’saidhe，’doyouthinkthereisaGod，ornot？’
　　’Ofcoursethereis，’saidtheslave，andimmediatelydrewfromunderhisgirdleasmallidolofwood。
　　’There，’saidhe，’thatistheGodwhohasguardedmefromthedayofmybirth。Everyoneinourcountryworshipsthefetishtree，fromthewoodofwhichthisGodwasmade。’
　　Thisconversationbetweenthetheologianandhisslavewaslistenedtowithsurprisebytheotherguestsinthecoffee-house。Theywereastonishedatthemaster’squestion，andyetmoresoattheslave’sreply。
　　Oneofthem，aBrahmin，onhearingthewordsspokenbytheslave，turnedtohimandsaid:
　　’Miserablefool！IsitpossibleyoubelievethatGodcanbecarriedunderaman’sgirdle？ThereisoneGod——Brahma，andheisgreaterthanthewholeworld，forhecreatedit。BrahmaistheOne，themightyGod，andinHishonourarebuiltthetemplesontheGanges’banks，wherehistruepriests，theBrahmins，worshiphim。TheyknowthetrueGod，andnonebutthey。Athousandscoreofyearshavepassed，andyetthroughrevolutionafterrevolutionthesepriestshaveheldtheirsway，becauseBrahma，theonetrueGod，hasprotectedthem。’
　　SospoketheBrahmin，thinkingtoconvinceeveryone；butaJewishbrokerwhowaspresentrepliedtohim，andsaid:
　　’No！thetempleofthetrueGodisnotinIndia。NeitherdoesGodprotecttheBrahmincaste。ThetrueGodisnottheGodoftheBrahmins，butofAbraham，Isaac，andJacob。NonedoesHeprotectbutHischosenpeople，theIsraelites。Fromthecommencementoftheworld，ournationhasbeenbelovedofHim，andoursalone。Ifwearenowscatteredoverthewholeearthitisbuttotryus；forGodhaspromisedthatHewillonedaygatherHispeopletogetherinJerusalem。Then，withtheTempleofJerusalem——thewonderoftheancientworld——restoredtoitssplendour，shallIsraelbeestablishedaruleroverallnations。’
　　SospoketheJew，andburstintotears。Hewishedtosaymore，butanItalianmissionarywhowasthereinterruptedhim。
　　’Whatyouaresayingisuntrue，’saidhetotheJew。’YouattributeinjusticetoGod。Hecannotloveyournationabovetherest。Nayrather，evenifitbetruethatofoldHefavouredtheIsraelites，itisnownineteenhundredyearssincetheyangeredHim，andcausedHimtodestroytheirnationandscatterthemovertheearth，sothattheirfaithmakesnoconvertsandhasdiedoutexcepthereandthere。Godshowspreferencetononation，butcallsallwhowishtobesavedtothebosomoftheCatholicChurchofRome，theoneoutsidewhosebordersnosalvationcanbefound。’