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。’