--- title: The Story of Obidah. — Oriental tales, for the entertainment of youth · full text with trees description: The Story of Obidah., «Oriental tales, for the entertainment of youth» by Anonymous: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Obidah, the son of Abensina, left the caravansera early in the morning, and pursued his journey through the plains of Indostan. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62868/21/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Oriental tales, for the entertainment…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62868/) / The Story of Obidah. # The Story of Obidah. The Story of Obidah. of «Oriental tales, for the entertainment of youth» by Anonymous: the whole text, 40 sentences and 1374 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. Obidah, the son of Abensina, left the caravansera early in the morning, and pursued his journey through the plains of Indostan.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") He was fresh and vigourous with rest; he was animated with hope; he was incited by desire; he walked swiftly forward over the vallies, and saw the hills gradually rising before him.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") As he passed along, his ears were delighted with the morning song of the bird of Paradise; he was fanned by the last flutters of the sinking breeze, and sprinkled with dew by groves of spices: he sometimes contemplated the towering height of the oak, monarch of the hills; and sometimes caught the gentle fragrance of the primrose, eldest daughter of the spring: all his senses were gratified, and all care was banished from his heart.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus he went on till the sun approached his meridian, and the increasing heat preyed upon his strength; he then looked round about him for some more commodious path.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") He saw, on his right hand, a grove that seemed to wave its shades as a sign of invitation; he entered it, and found the coolness and verdure irresistibly pleasant.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") He did not however, forget whither he was travelling, but found a narrow way, bordered with flowers, which appeared to have the same direction with the main road, and was pleased that, by this happy experiment, he had found means to unite pleasure with business, and gain the rewards of diligence without suffering its fatigues.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") He therefore still continued to walk for a time, without the least remission of his ardour, except that he was sometimes tempted to stop by the music of the birds, whom the heat had assembled in the shade, and sometimes amused himself with plucking the flowers that covered the banks on either side, or the fruits that hung upon the branches.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") At last the green path began to decline from its first tendency, and to wind among hills and thickets, cooled with fountains, and murmuring with waterfalls.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") Here Obidah paused for a time, and began to consider whether it were longer safe to forsake the known and common track; but remembering that the heat was now in its greatest violence, and that the plain was dusty and uneven, he resolved to pursue the new path, which he supposed only to make a few meanders, in compliance with the varieties of the ground, and to end at last in the common road.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Having thus calmed his solicitude, he renewed his pace, though he suspected that he was not gaining ground.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") This uneasiness of his mind inclined him to lay hold on every new object, and give way to every sensation that might sooth and divert him.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") He listened to every echo, he mounted every hill for a fresh prospect, he turned aside to every cascade, and pleased himself with tracing the course of a gentle river that rolled among the trees, and watered a large region with innumerable circumvolutions.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") In these amusements the hours passed away unaccounted, his deviations had perplexed his memory, and he knew not towards what point to travel.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") He stood pensive and confused, afraid to go forward lest he should go wrong, yet conscious that the time of loitering was now past.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") While he was thus tortured with uncertainty, the sky was overspread with clouds, the day vanished from before him, and a sudden tempest gathered round his head.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") He was now roused by his danger to a quick and painful remembrance of his folly; he now saw how happiness is lost when ease is consulted; he lamented the unmanly impatience that prompted him to seek shelter in the grove, and despised the petty curiosity that led him on from trifle to trifle.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") While he was thus reflecting, the air grew blacker, and a clap of thunder broke his meditation.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") He now resolved to do what remained yet in his power, to tread back the ground which he had passed, and try to find some issue where the wood might open into the plain.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") He prostrated himself on the ground, and commended his life to the Lord of Nature.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") He rose with confidence and tranquillity, and pressed on with his sabre in hand, for the beasts of the desart were in motion, and on every hand were mingled howls of rage and fear, and savage expiration; all the horrors of darkness and solitude surrounded him; the winds roared in the woods, and the torrents tumbled from the hills.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Work’d into sudden rage by wint’ry show’rs, Down the steep hill the roaring torrent pours; The mountain shepherd hears the distant noise.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus forlorn and distressed, he wandered through the wild, without knowing whither he was going, or whether he was every moment drawing nearer to safety or to destruction.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") At length not fear but labour began to overcome him; his breath grew short, and his knees trembled, and he was on the point of lying down in resignation to his fate, when he beheld through the branches the glimmer of a taper.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") He advanced towards the light, and finding that it proceeded from the cottage of a hermit, he called humbly at the door, and obtained admission.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") The old man set before him such provisions as he had collected for himself, on which Obidah fed with eagerness and gratitude.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") When the repast was over, “Tell me,” said the hermit, “by what chance thou hast been brought hither; I have been now twenty years an inhabitant of the wilderness, in which I never saw a man before.”[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") Obidah then related the occurrences of his journey, without any concealment or palliation.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") “Son,” said the hermit, “let the errors and follies, the dangers and escapes, of this day, sink deep into thy heart.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") Remember, my son, that human life is the journey of a day: we rise in the morning of youth, full of vigour, and full of expectation; we set forward with spirit and hope, with gaiety and with diligence, and travel on awhile in the strait road of piety towards the mansions of rest.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") In a short time we remit our fervour, and endeavour to find some mitigation of our duty, and some more easy means of obtaining the same end.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") We then relax our vigour, and resolve no longer to be terrified with crimes at a distance, but rely upon our own constancy, and venture to approach what we resolve never to touch.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") We thus enter the bowers of ease, and repose in the shades of security.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") Here the heart softens, and vigilance subsides; we are then willing to inquire whether another advance cannot be made, and whether we may not at least turn our eyes upon the gardens of pleasure.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") We approach them with scruple and hesitation; we enter them, but enter timorous and trembling, and always hope to pass through them without losing the road of virtue, which we, for awhile, keep in our sight, and to which we propose to return.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") But temptation succeeds temptation, and one compliance prepares us for another; we in time lose the happiness of innocence, and solace our disquiet with sensual gratifications.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") By degrees we let fall the remembrance of our original intention, and quit the only adequate object of rational desire.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") We entangle ourselves in business, immerge ourselves in luxury, and rove through the labyrinths of inconstancy, till the darkness of old age begins to invade us, and disease and anxiety obstruct our way.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") We then look back upon our lives with horror, with sorrow, with repentance; and wish, but too often vainly wish, that we had not forsaken the ways of virtue.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") Happy are they, my son, who shall learn from thy example not to despair, but shall remember, that though the day is past, and their strength is wasted, there yet remains one effort to be made; that reformation is never hopeless, nor sincere endeavours ever unassisted; that the wanderer may at length return after all his errors, and that he who implores strength and courage from above, shall find danger and difficulty give way before him.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Go now, my son, to thy repose, commit thyself to the care of Omnipotence, and when the morning calls again to toil, begin anew thy journey and thy life.”[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [The Story of Bozaldab.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62868/20/) - next →: [Ingratitude Punished.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62868/22/) - ↑ back to [Oriental tales, for the entertainment of youth](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62868/)