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.
"I perceive," said Gud, "that you are a prince of industry. But you are
also in a dilemma. If you try the last straw first and break the camel's
back, then how can the poor beast go through the eye of the needle?"