Part 5 (1/2)

He saw before hinificence as he had never dreamed of even in his wildest fancy There were seven fountains as clear as crystal that shot high into the air and fell back into basins of alabaster There was a broad avenue as white as snow, and thousands of lights lit up everything as light as day Upon either side of the avenue stood a row of black slaves, clad in garments of white silk, and with jewelled turbans upon their heads Each held a fla torch of sandal-wood Behind the slaves stood a double row of arreat crowd of other slaves and attendants, dressed each aswith innuold

But of all these things the young ; for at the end of the marble avenue there arose a palace, the like of which was not in the four quarters of the earth--a palace ofinto the purple starry sky, and shi+ning in the ht like a vision of Paradise The palace was illuminated from top to bottom and from end to end; the s shone like crystal, and fro

When the crowd that stood waiting saw the young man appear, they shouted: ”Welcoain! To Aben Hassen the Fool!”

The young man walked up the avenue of marble to the palace, surrounded by the arold, and preceded by dancing-girls as beautiful as houris, who danced and sung before his to me And to think that if I had listened to the Talisman of Solomon I would have had none of it”

That was the way he caypt, and to the palace of enchantment that his father had quitted

For seven ht, surrounded by crowds of courtiers as though they were a king, and going from pleasure to pleasure without end Nor had he any fear of an end co to it, for he knew that his treasure was inexhaustible He made friends with the princes and nobles of the land From far and wide people canificence filled all the world When men would praise any one they would say, ”He is as rich,” or as ”enerous, as Aben Hassen the Fool”

So for sevenhe awakened and found everything changed to grief and hter, to-day was crying Where the day before had been loo

Seven black slaves stood on guard near Aben Hassen the Fool as he lay upon his couch ”What means all this sorrow?” said he to one of the slaves

Instantly all the slaves began howling and beating their heads, and he to who man had spoken fell doith his face in the dust, and lay there twisting and writhing like a worm

”He has asked the question!” howled the slaves--”he has asked the question!”

”Are youman ”What is the matter with you?”

At the doorway of the roo in her hands a jewelled basin of gold, filled with rose-water, and a fine linen napkin for the youngman, ”what means all this sorrow and laolden basin upon the stone floor, and began shrieking and tearing her clothes ”He has asked the question!” she screaan to grow frightened; he arose from his couch, and with uneven steps went out into the anteroo for him with a crowd of attendants and courtiers

”Tell me,” said Aben Hassen the Fool, ”why are you all so sorrowful?”

Instantly they who stood waiting began crying and tearing their clothes and beating their hands As for the chamberlain--he was a reverend old ers twitched as though he would have struck if he had dared ”What,” he cried, ”art thou not contented with all thou hast and with all that we do for thee without asking the forbidden question?”

Thereupon he tore his cap fro hi

Aben Hassen the Fool, not knohat to think or as to happen, ran back into the bedrooone mad,” said he ”Nevertheless, if I do not find out what it all ht himself, for the first time since he came to that land, of the Talisman of Solomon

”Tell me, O Talisman,” said he, ”why all these people weep and wail so continuously?”

”Rest content,” said the Talis that which concerns thine own self, and seek not to find an answer that will be to thine own undoing Be thou also further advised: do not question the Deall this tiht of Zadok at first, he would have told me all Then he called aloud, Zadok! Zadok! Zadok!”

Instantly the ground shook beneath his feet, the dust rose in clouds, and there stood Zadok as black as ink, and with eyes that shone like fire