4

convent Abounadar lodged; he was so well known that every body told him his habitation. He repaired thither directly, and found fifty porters, who kept the gate of his house, having each a staff with a head' of gold in his hand: the court of his palace was filled with slaves and domestics: in fine, the residence of a prince could not show greater magnificence. Abdallah, struck with astonishment and admiration, feared to proceed. "Certainly," thought he, "I either explained myself wrong, or those to whom I adressed myself designed to make a jest of me, because I was a stranger: this is not the habitation of a Dervise; it is that of a king." He was thus perplexed, when a man approached him, and said to him," Abdallah, thou art welcome; my master, Abounadar, has long expected thee." He then conducted him to a pleasant and magnificent pavilion where the Dervise was seated. Abdallah, struck with the riches which he beheld on all sides, would have prostrated himself at his feet, but Abounadar prevented him, and interrupted him when he would have made a merit of the candlestick, which he presented to him." Thou art but an ungrateful wretch," said he to him. "Dost thou imagine thou canst impose upon me?

1 With a head, à tête.

2 When he would have, etc., avant qu'il pût se faire un mérite de rapporter le chandelier,

I am not ignorant of any one of they thoughts; and if thou hadst known the value of this candlestick, thou wouldst never have brought it to me; I will make thee sensible of its true use." Immediately he placed a light in each of its branches, and when the twelve Dervises had turned round for sometime, Abounadar gave each of them a blow with a cane, and in a moment they were converted into twelve heaps of sequins, diamonds, and other precious stones. "This" said he, " is the proper use to be made of this marvellous candlestick. As to me, I never desired it, but to place it in my cabinet, as a talisman composed by a sage whom I revere; and am pleased to expose it sometimes to those who come to visit me. And, to prove to thee," added he, "that curiosity was the only occasion of my search for it, here are the keys of my magazines; open them, and thou shalt judge of my riches: thou shalt tell me whether the most insatiable miser would not be satisfied with them." Abdallah obeyed him, and examined twelve magazines of great extent, so full of all kinds of riches, that he could not distinguish what merited his admiration most; they all deserved it, and produced new desires. The regret of having

To be ignorant of, ignorer.

3 To make one sensible of, faire connaître à quelqu'un. 3 To expose, montrer.

THE STUD. ASSISTANT.

8

3

restored the candlestick, and that of not having found out the use of it, pierced the heart of Abdallah. Abounadar, seemed not to perceive it; on the contrary, he loaded him with caresses, kept him some days in his house, and commanded him to be treated as himself. When he was at the eve of the day which he had fixed for his departure, he said to him: " Abdallah, my son, I believe, by what has happened to thee, thou art corrected of the frightful vice of ingratitude; however, I owe thee a mark of my affection for having undertaken so long a journey, with a view of bringing me the thing I had desired, thou mayst depart, I shall detain thee no longer. Thou shalt find to-mor row, at the gate of my palace, one of my horses to carry thee: I make thee a present of it, as well as of a slave who shall conduct thee to thy house; and two camels loaded with gold and jewels, which thou shalt chuse thyself out of 'my treasures, Abdallah said to him all that a heart sensible to avarice could express, when its passion was satisfied, and went to lie down till the morning arrived, which was fixed for his departure.

During the night he was still agitated, without being able to think of any thing but the candlestick, and what it had produced. "I

'Out of, dans.

:

had it," said he, "so long in my power; Abounadar, without me, had never been the possessor of it: what risks did I not run in the subterraneous vault? Why does he now possess this treasure of treasures? Because I had the probity, or rather the folly, to bring it back to him he profits by my labour, and the danger I have incurred in so long a journey. And what does he give me in return? Two camels loaded with gold and jewels; in one moment the candlestick will furnish him with ten times as much. It is Abounadar who is ungrateful. What wrong shall I do him in taking this candlestick? None, certainly; for he is rich And what do I possess?" These ideas determined him, at length, to make all possible attempts to seize upon the candlestick. The thing was not difficult, Abounadar having trusted him with 'the keys of his magazines. He knew where the candlestick was placed; he seized upon it, hid it in the bottom of one of the sacks, which he filled with pieces of gold and other riches which he was allowed to take', and loaded it, as well as the rest, upon his camels. He had no other eagerness now than for his departure; and after having hastily bid adieu to the generous Abounadar, he

To trust one with, confier à quelqu'un.

2 Which he was allowed to take, qu'on lui avait permiş de prendre.

delivered him his keys, and departed with his horse and slave.

When he was some days' journey from Bassora, he sold his slave, resolving not to have a witness of his former poverty, nor of the source of his present riches. He bought another, and arrived without any obstacle at his mother's house, and he would scarce look upon her, so much was he taken up with his treasure. His first care was to place the loads of his camels and the candlestick in the most private room of the house; and, in his impatience to feed his eyes with his great opulence, he placed lights immediately in the candlestick the twelve Dervises appearing, he gave each of them a blow with a cane, with all his strength, lest he should be failing in the laws1 of the talisman; but he had not remarked, that Abounadar, when he struck them, had the cane in his left hand. Abdallah, by a natural motion, made use of his right; and the Dervises, instead of becoming heaps of riches, immediately drew from beneath their robes each a formidable club, with which they struck him so hard and so long, that they left him almost dead, and disappeared, carrying with them all his treasure, the camels, the horse, and the candlestick.

Lest he should, etc., de peur de manquer à la règle.