Explore "A Story from Jerusalem" by Selma Lagerlof on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
In the old and time-honored mosque, El Aksa, in Jerusalem, there is a long, winding path leading from the main entrance up to a very deep and wide window-niche. In this niche a very old and much worn rug is spread; and upon this rug, day in and day out, sits old Mesullam, who is a fortune-teller and dream-interpreter, and who for a paltry penny serves the visitors to the mosque by prying into their future destinies.
It happened one afternoon, several years ago, that Mesullam, who sat as usual in his window, was so ill-natured that he wouldn't even return the greetings of the passersby. No one thought, however, of feeling offended at his rudeness, because everyone knew that he was grieving over a humiliation which had been put upon him that day.