hich was
of silver and one-half of which was of gold. The Wise Man touched the
steps of the palace with the silver end of the staff. Instantly all
the sound and hum of life was hushed. The thread of life was cut by the
knife of silence, and in a moment all was as still as death.

"Zadok," said the Wise Man, "transport me to the treasure-house of the
king of Egypt." And instantly the Demon had transported him thither. The
Wise Man drew a circle upon the earth. "No one," said he, "shall have
power to enter here but the master of Zadok, the King of the Demons of
the Earth."

"And now, Zadok," said he, "I command thee to transport me to India,
and as far from here as thou canst." Instantly the Demon did as he
was commanded; and of all the treasure that he had, the Wise Man took
nothing with him but a jar of golden money and a jar of silver money.
As soon as the Wise Man stood upon the ground of India, he drew from
beneath his robe a little jar of glass.

"Zadok," said he, "I command thee to enter this jar."

Then the Demon knew that now his turn had come. He besought and implored
the Wise Man to have mercy upon him; but it was all in vain. Then the
Demon roared and bellowed till the earth shook and the sky grew dark
overhead. But all was of no avail; into the jar he must go, and into the
jar he went. Then the Wise Man stoppered the jar and sealed it. He wrote
an inscription of warning upon it, and then he buried it in the ground.

"Now," said Aben Hassen the Wise to the Talisman of Solomon, "have I
done everything that I should?"

"No," said the Talisman, "thou shouldst not have brought the jar of
golden money and the jar of silver money with thee; for that which is
evil in the greatest is evil in the least. Thou fool! The treasure is
cursed! Cast it all from thee while there is yet time."

"Yes, I will do that, too," said the Wise Man. So he buried in the earth
the jar of gold and the jar of silver that he had brought with him, and
then he stamped the mould down upon it. After that the Wise Man began
his life all over again. He bought, and he sold, and he traded, and
by-and-by he became rich. Then he built himself a great house, and in
the foundation he laid the jar in which the Demon was bottled.

Then he married a young and handsome wife. By-and-by the wife bore him a
son, and then she died.

This son was the pride of his father's heart; but he was as vain and
foolish as his father was wise, so that all men cal