THEAssyrianKing，Esarhaddon，hadconqueredthekingdomofKingLailie，haddestroyedandburntthetowns，takenalltheinhabitantscaptivetohisowncountry，slaughteredthewarriors，beheadedsomechieftainsandimpaledorflayedothers，andhadconfinedKingLailiehimselfinacage。
Ashelayonhisbedonenight，KingEsarhaddonwasthinkinghowheshouldexecuteLailie，whensuddenlyheheardarustlingnearhisbed，andopeninghiseyessawanoldmanwithalonggreybeadandmildeyes。
’YouwishtoexecuteLailie？’askedtheoldman。
’Yes，’answeredtheKing。’ButIcannotmakeupmymindhowtodoit。’
’ButyouareLailie，’saidtheoldman。
’That’snottrue，’repliedtheKing。’LailieisLailie，andIamI。’
’YouandLailieareone，’saidtheoldman。’YouonlyimagineyouarenotLailie，andthatLailieisnotyou。’
’Whatdoyoumeanbythat？’saidtheKing。’HereamI，lyingonasoftbed；aroundmeareobedientmen-slavesandwomen-slaves，andto-morrowIshallfeastwithmyfriendsasIdidto-day；whereasLailieissittinglikeabirdinacage，andto-morrowhewillbeimpaled，andwithhistonguehangingoutwillstruggletillhedies，andhisbodywillbetorninpiecesbydogs。’
’Youcannotdestroyhislife，’saidtheoldman。
’AndhowaboutthefourteenthousandwarriorsIkilled，withwhosebodiesIbuiltamound？’saidtheKing。’Iamalive，buttheynolongerexist。DoesnotthatprovethatIcandestroylife？’
’Howdoyouknowtheynolongerexist？’
’BecauseInolongerseethem。And，aboveall，theyweretormented，butIwasnot。Itwasillforthem，butwellforme。’
’That，also，onlyseemssotoyou。Youtorturedyourself，butnotthem。’
’Idonotunderstand，’saidtheKing。
’Doyouwishtounderstand？’
’Yes，Ido。’
’Thencomehere，’saidtheoldman，pointingtoalargefontfullofwater。
TheKingroseandapproachedthefont。
’Strip，andenterthefont。’
Esarhaddondidastheoldmanbadehim。
’AssoonasIbegintopourthiswateroveryou，’saidtheoldman，fillingapitcherwiththewater，’dipdownyourhead。’
TheoldmantiltedthepitcherovertheKing’sheadandtheKingbenthisheadtillitwasunderwater。
AndassoonasKingEsarhaddonwasunderthewaterhefeltthathewasnolongerEsarhaddon，butsomeoneelse。And，feelinghimselftobethatotherman，hesawhimselflyingonarichbed，besideabeautifulwoman。Hehadneverseenherbefore，butheknewshewashiswife。Thewomanraisedherselfandsaidtohim:
’Dearhusband，Lailie！Youwereweariedbyyesterday’sworkandhavesleptlongerthanusual，andIhaveguardedyourrest，andhavenotrousedyou。ButnowthePrincesawaityouintheGreatHall。
Dressandgoouttothem。’
AndEsarhaddon——understandingfromthesewordsthathewasLailie，andnotfeelingatallsurprisedatthis，butonlywonderingthathedidnotknowitbefore——rose，dressed，andwentintotheGreatHallwherethePrincesawaitedhim。
ThePrincesgreetedLailie，theirKing，bowingtotheground，andthentheyrose，andathiswordsatdownbeforehim；andtheeldestofthePrincesbegantospeak，sayingthatitwasimpossiblelongertoenduretheinsultsofthewickedKingEsarhaddon，andthattheymustmakewaronhim。ButLailiedisagreed，andgaveordersthatenvoysshallbesenttoremonstratewithKingEsarhaddon；andhedismissedthePrincesfromtheaudience。Afterwardsheappointedmenofnotetoactasambassadors，andimpressedonthemwhattheyweretosaytoKingEsarhaddon。Havingfinishedthisbusiness，Esarhaddon——feelinghimselftobeLailie——rodeouttohuntwildasses。Thehuntwassuccessful。Hekilledtwowildasseshimself，andhavingreturnedhome，feastedwithhisfriends，andwitnessedadanceofslavegirls。ThenextdayhewenttotheCourt，wherehewasawaitedbypetitionerssuitors，andprisonersbroughtfortrial；andthereasusualhedecidedthecasessubmittedtohim。Havingfinishedthisbusiness，heagainrodeouttohisfavouriteamusement:thehunt。Andagainhewassuccessful:thistimekillingwithhisownhandanoldlioness，andcapturinghertwocubs。Afterthehuntheagainfeastedwithhisfriends，andwasentertainedwithmusicanddances，andthenighthespentwiththewifewhomheloved。
So，dividinghistimebetweenkinglydutiesandpleasures，helivedfordaysandweeks，awaitingthereturnoftheambassadorshehadsenttothatKingEsarhaddonwhousedtobehimself。Nottillamonthhadpasseddidtheambassadorsreturn，andtheyreturnedwiththeirnosesandearscutoff。
KingEsarhaddonhadorderedthemtotellLailiethatwhathadbeendonetothem——theambassadors——wouldbedonetoKingLailiehimselfalso，unlesshesentimmediatelyatributeofsilver，gold，andcypress-wood，andcamehimselftopayhomagetoKingEsarhaddon。
Lailie，formerlyEsarhaddon，againassembledthePrinces，andtookcounselwiththemastowhatheshoulddo。TheyallwithoneaccordsaidthatwarmustbemadeagainstEsarhaddon，withoutwaitingforhimtoattackthem。TheKingagreed；andtakinghisplaceattheheadofthearmy，startedonthecampaign。Thecampaignlastssevendays。EachdaytheKingroderoundthearmytorousethecourageofhiswarriors。OntheeighthdayhisarmymetthatofEsarhaddoninabroadvalleythroughwhichariverflowed。Lailie’sarmyfoughtbravely，butLailie，formerlyEsarhaddon，sawtheenemyswarmingdownfromthemountainslikeants，over-runningthevalleyandoverwhelminghisarmy；and，inhischariot，heflunghimselfintothemidstofthebattle，hewingandfellingtheenemy。ButthewarriorsofLailiewerebutashundreds，whilethoseofEsarhaddonwereasthousands；andLailiefelthimselfwoundedandtakenprisoner。Ninedayshejourneyedwithothercaptives，bound，andguardedbythewarriorsofEsarhaddon。OnthetenthdayhereachedNineveh，andwasplacedinacage。Lailiesufferednotsomuchfromhungerandfromhiswoundasfromshameandimpotentrage。Hefelthowpowerlesshewastoavengehimselfonhisenemyforallhewassuffering。Allhecoulddowastodeprivehisenemiesofthepleasureofseeinghissufferings；andhefirmlyresolvedtoendurecourageouslywithoutamurmur，alltheycoulddotohim。Fortwentydayshesatinhiscage，awaitingexecution。Hesawhisrelativesandfriendsledouttodeath；heheardthegroansofthosewhowereexecuted:somehadtheirhandsandfeetcutoff，otherswereflayedalive，butheshowedneitherdisquietude，norpity，norfear。Hesawthewifeheloved，bound，andledbytwoblackeunuchs。HeknewshewasbeingtakenasaslavetoEsarhaddon。
That，too，heborewithoutamurmur。Butoneoftheguardsplacedtowatchhimsaid，’Ipityyou，Lailie；youwereaking，butwhatareyounow？’Andhearingthesewords，Lailierememberedallhehadlost。Heclutchedthebarsofhiscage，and，wishingtokillhimself，beathisheadagainstthem。Buthehadnotthestrengthtodosoand，groaningindespair，hefelluponthefloorofhiscage。
Atlasttwoexecutionersopenedhiscagedoor，andhavingstrappedhisarmstightbehindhim，ledhimtotheplaceofexecution，whichwassoakedwithblood。Lailiesawasharpstakedrippingwithblood，fromwhichthecorpseofoneofhisfriendshadjustbeentorn，andheunderstoodthatthishadbeendonethatthestakemightserveforhisownexecution。TheystrippedLailieofhisclothes。Hewasstartledattheleannessofhisoncestrong，handsomebody。Thetwoexecutionersseizedthatbodybyitsleanthighs；theyliftedhimupandwereabouttolethimfalluponthestake。
’Thisisdeath，destruction！’thoughtLailie，and，forgetfulofhisresolvetoremainbravelycalmtotheend，hesobbedandprayedformercy。Butnoonelistenedtohim。
’Butthiscannotbe，’thoughthe。’SurelyIamasleep。Itisadream。’
Andhemadeanefforttorousehimself，anddidindeedawake，tofindhimselfneitherEsarhaddonnorLailie——butsomekindofananimal。Hewasastonishedthathewasananimal，andastonished，also，atnothavingknownthisbefore。
Hewasgrazinginavalley，tearingthetendergrasswithhisteeth，andbrushingawayflieswithhislongtail。Aroundhimwasfrolickingalong-legged，dark-grayass-colt，stripeddownitsback。
Kickingupitshindlegs，thecoltgallopedfullspeedtoEsarhaddon，andpokinghimunderthestomachwithitssmoothlittlemuzzle，searchedfortheteat，and，findingit，quieteddown，swallowingregularly。Esarhaddonunderstoodthathewasashe-ass，thecolt’smother，andthisneithersurprisednorgrievedhim，butrathergavehimpleasure。Heexperiencedagladfeelingofsimultaneouslifeinhimselfandinhisoffspring。
Butsuddenlysomethingflewnearwithawhistlingsoundandhithimintheside，andwithitssharppointenteredhisskinandflesh。
Feelingaburningpain，Esarhaddon——whowasatthesametimetheass——toretheudderfromthecolt’steeth，andlayingbackhisearsgallopedtotheherdfromwhichhehadstrayed。Thecoltkeptupwithhim，gallopingbyhisside。Theyhadalreadynearlyreachedtheherd，whichhadstartedoff，whenanotherarrowinfullflightstruckthecolt’sneck。Itpiercedtheskinandquiveredinitsflesh。Thecoltsobbedpiteouslyandfelluponitsknees。Esarhaddoncouldnotabandonit，andremainedstandingoverit。Thecoltrose，totteredonitslong，thinlegs，andagainfell。Afearfultwo-leggedbeing——aman——ranupandcutitsthroat。
