Bricks Without Straw

Bricks Without Straw, by Albion
W. Tourgee

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Title: Bricks Without Straw
Author: Albion W. Tourgee
Release Date: July, 2004 [EBook #6058] [Yes, we are more than one

year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on November 6,
2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, BRICKS
WITHOUT STRAW ***

Charles Aldarondo, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team

BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW
A Novel
BY
ALBION W. TOURGEE, LL.D.,
LATE JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OF NORTH
CAROLINA

THIS VOLUME I GRATEFULLY DEDICATE TO
My Wife;
TO WHOSE UNFLINCHING COURAGE, UNFALTERING FAITH,
UNFAILING CHEER, AND STEADFAST LOVE, I OWE MORE
THAN MANY VOLUMES MIGHT DECLARE.

TRANSLATION:

[From an ancient Egyptian Papyrus-Roll, recently discovered.]
It came to pass that when Pharaoh had made an end of giving
commandment that the children of Israel should deliver the daily tale of
bricks, but should not be furnished with any straw wherewith to make
them, but should instead go into the fields and gather such stubble as
might be left therein, that Neoncapos, the king's jester, laughed.
And when he was asked whereat he laughed, he answered, At the king's
order.
And thereupon he laughed the more.
Then was Pharaoh, the king, exceeding wroth, and he gave
commandment that an owl be given to Neoncapos, the king's jester, and
that he be set forth without the gate of the king's palace, and that he be
forbidden to return, or to speak to any in all the land, save only unto the
owl which had been given him, until such time as the bird should
answer and tell him what he should say.
Then they that stood about the king, and all who saw Neoncapos, cried
out, What a fool's errand is this! So that the saying remains even unto
this day.
Nevertheless, upon the next day came Neoncapos again into the
presence of Pharaoh, the king.
Then was Pharaoh greatly astonished, and he said, How is this? Hath
the bird spoken?
And Neoncapos, the king's jester, bowed himself unto the earth, and
said, He hath, my lord.
Then was Pharaoh, the king, filled with amazement, and said, Tell me
what he hath said unto thee.

And Neoncapos raised himself before the king, and answered him, and
said:
As I went out upon the errand whereunto thou hadst sent me forth, I
remembered thy commandment to obey it. And I spake only unto the
bird which thou gavest me, and said unto him:
There was a certain great king which held a people in bondage, and set
over them task-masters, and required of them all the bricks that they
could make, man for man, and day by day;
For the king was in great haste seeking to build a palace which should
be greater and nobler than any in the world, and should remain to
himself and his children a testimony of his glory forever.
And it came to pass, at length, that the king gave commandment that no
more straw should be given unto them that made the bricks, but that
they should still deliver the tale which had been aforetime required of
them.
And thereupon the king's jester laughed.
Because he said to himself, If the laborers have not straw wherewith to
attemper the clay, but only stubble and chaff gathered from the fields,
will not the bricks be ill-made and lack strength and symmetry of form,
so that the wall made thereof will not be true and strong, or fitly joined
together? For the lack of a little straw it may be that the palace of the
great king will fall upon him and all his people that dwell therein.
Thereupon the king was wroth with his fool, and his countenance was
changed, and he spake harshly unto him, and--
It matters not what thou