Chapter XX
And now the rich merchant pointed out upon the horizon a small speck which was no larger than a woman's honesty. As the camel journeyed on toward the horizon the speck grew in size until it was as large as the hope of inheritance. And when they finally came up to it, behold it was a strawstack!
The camel started to eat the straw, but the merchant jumped down and belabored the beast over the head with a marlin pin—whatever that is—and cried: "Cease, thou gluttonous, stupid beast; knowest thou not that thou wilt impale thy parched throat?"
"Why belaborest thou the camel?" asked Gud, solicitously.
"Because, there is a needle in this strawstack, and I came from the four corners of the earth to find it. Do you think I am going to let this fool beast devour it?"
So Gud offered to hold the camel's halter while the rich merchant searched the strawstack for the needle.
After the merchant had looked in all the straws but one he gave up in despair, for he had not found the needle.
"Perseverance, dear, my lord, keeps honor bright," quoth Gud.
Greatly encouraged, the rich merchant looked into the last straw and found the needle. In glee he shouted and held up the needle in one hand and the last straw in the other.