in the way of talking of fools," said the Fisherman who
drew the Genie out of the sea--"since we are in the way of talking of
fools, I can tell you a story of the fool of all fools, and how, one
after the other, he wasted as good gifts as a man's ears ever heard tell
of."

"What was his name?" said the Lad who fiddled for the Jew in the
bramble-bush.

"That," said the Fisherman, "I do not know."

"And what is this story about?" asked St. George.

"Tis," said the Fisherman, "about a hole in the ground."

"And is that all?" said the Soldier who cheated the Devil.

"Nay," said the Fisherman, blowing a whiff from his pipe; "there were
some things in the hole--a bowl of treasure, an earthen-ware jar, and a
pair of candlesticks."

"And what do you call your story," said St. George.

"Why," said the Fisherman, "for lack of a better name I will call it--"

Good Gifts and a Fool's Folly.

Give a fool heaven and earth, and all the stars, and he will make ducks
and drakes of them.

Once upon a time there was an old man, who, by thrifty living and long
saving, had laid by a fortune great enough to buy ease and comfort and
pleasure for a lifetime.

By-and-by he died, and the money came to his son, who was of a different
sort from the father; for, what that one had gained by the labor of a
whole year, the other spent in riotous living in one week.

So it came about in a little while that the young man found himself
without so much as a single penny to bless himself withal. Then his
fair-weather friends left him, and the creditors came and seized upon
his house and his household goods, and turned him out into the cold
wide world to get along as best he might with the other fools who lived
there.

Now the young spendthrift was a strong, stout fellow, and, seeing
nothing better to do, he sold his fine clothes and bought him a porter's
basket, and went and sat in the corner of the market-place to hire
himself out to carry this or that for folk who were better off in the
world, and less foolish than he.

There he sat, all day long, from morning until evening, but nobody came
to hire him. But at last, as dusk was settling, there came along an old
man with beard as white as snow hanging down below his waist. He stopped
in front of the foolish spendthrift, and stood looking at him for a
while; then, at last, seeming to be satisfied, he beckoned with his
finger to the young man. "Come," said he, "I have a task for yo