I am looking for an on-line link to the story (or parable) of The
Camel's Nose.  The rough form of the parable is that a shiek and his
camel were waiting out a sandstorm.  The shiek was in his tent and the
camel was outside.  The camel begs the shiek to allow him to put just
his nose in the tent.  The shiek, being a compassionate man, agrees. 
Then the camel asks to allow his eyes into the tent because the sand
stings them.  Over the course of several iterations, the camel ends up
entirely in the tent and the shiek is stuck outside in the sandstorm. 
The parable is intended to illustrate the dangers of a slippery slope.

I have found any number of sites that reference the story.  I have
been unable to find an online telling of the story itself.  This is
what I am looking for.

Hi anrwlias!!


I think that I found what are you looking for under the title "The
Camel and the Arab", this story isn't the Aesop fable which has the
same title.

According to the site where I found the fable this is part of the
ancient India tradition. The link to the fable in question is:
"The Camel and the Arab":
http://www.boloji.com/natkhat/025.htm


I hope that this helps you. Before rate this answer, please ask for a
clarification if you have a question.

Best regards.
livioflores-ga

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Request for Answer Clarification by anrwlias-ga on 30 May 2004 10:08 PDT

Thank you.  The version I originally heard involved a sandstorm and it
had more elaboration (the camel complains about his eyes being stung
by the sand).  Be that as it may, I am sure that (as with most folk
stories) there are numerous variations.

If you could find a varient closer to my description, that would be
wonderful.  If not, I would be willing to accept this as a valid
answer to the question.

---

Clarification of Answer by livioflores-ga on 30 May 2004 17:59 PDT

Hi!!

I saw your request after the comment by graememcrae was posted. So the
story that you want is after the link gently provided by graememcrae:
"What's All This Camel Stuff, Anyhow?"
http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/ArticleID/6107/6107.html


I also found other versions of "cold night" stories what appears to be
most common in the Internet (this lead me to believe that the "storm"
version is an elaborated variation from the original "cold night"):
"THE ARAB AND HIS CAMEL":
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~rmasiell/220/exerc7.html

"The Arab And His Camel":
http://home.kimo.com.tw/ksut-girl/new_page_57.htm


I hope this helps you.

Regards.
livioflores-ga

Thanks for the research. This is what I was hoping to find.

Google search arguments: camel sandstorm tent nose eyes arab

Website: http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/ArticleID/6107/6107.html

Once upon a time there was an Arab who wanted to cross a wide desert.
So he fed and watered his camel well, and got all necessary supplies,
and started out. The very first afternoon, a sandstorm began to blow.
The Arab got off his Camel and pitched his tent and climbed in, to
wait out the storm.

After a while, the Camel said, "Master, pray let me put my nose under
your tent, for the sand is blowing in my nose. If I suffocate, I
cannot carry you across the desert." So the Arab let the camel put his
nose under the tent.

Shortly thereafter, the Camel said, "Pray, Master, let me put my eyes
under your tent, because the sand is blowing in my eyes, and if I go
blind, I cannot carry you across the desert." So the Arab let the
Camel put his eyes under the tent. THEN after a suitable delay, the
Camel asked, "Pray, let me put my ears under your tent, as the sand is
blowing my ears."?etc. This was shortly followed by, "The sand is
blowing on the cut on my shoulder, Pray let me put my Shoulder under
your tent." And shortly the Camel pushed the Arab out of his own tent.