sorts.

"Now," said the old man to the spendthrift, "I will do to you as I
promised: I will pay you as never man was paid before for such a task.
Yonder upon those three stone tables are three great treasures: choose
whichever one you will, and it is yours."

"I shall not be long in choosing," cried the young spendthrift. "I shall
choose the brass bowl of jewels."

The old man laughed. "So be it," said he. "Fill your basket from the
bowl with all you can carry, and that will be enough, provided you live
wisely, to make you rich for as long as you live."

The young man needed no second bidding, but began filling his basket
with both hands, until he had in it as much as he could carry.

Then the old man, taking the iron candlestick and the earthen jar, led
the way up the stairway again. There the young man lowered the iron
trap-door to its place, and so soon as he had done so the other stamped
his heel upon the ground, and the earth closed of itself as smooth and
level as it had been before.

The two sat themselves upon the carpet, the one upon the one end, and
the other upon the other. "By the horn of Jacob," said the old man,
"I command thee, O Carpet! to fly over hill and valley, over lake and
river, until thou hast brought us back whence we came."

Away flew the carpet, and in a little time they were back in the garden
from which they had started upon their journey; and there they
parted company. "Go thy way, young man," said the old graybeard, "and
henceforth try to live more wisely than thou hast done heretofore.
I know well who thou art, and how thou hast lived. Shun thy evil
companions, live soberly, and thou hast enough to make thee rich for as
long as thou livest."

"Have no fear," cried the young man, joyfully. "I have learned a bitter
lesson, and henceforth I will live wisely and well."

So, filled with good resolves, the young man went the next day to his
creditors and paid his debts; he bought back the house which his father
had left him, and there began to lead a new life as he had promised.

But a gray goose does not become white, nor a foolish man a wise one.

At first he led a life sober enough; but by little and little he began
to take up with his old-time friends again, and by-and-by the money went
flying as merrily as ever, only this time he was twenty times richer
than he had been before, and he spent his money twenty times as fast.
Every day there was feasting and drinking going on in hi