was received like a prince, entertained like a
king, given a present fit for an emperor, and sent away happy. The fame
of all these things went out through all the land, and every one talked
of him and the magnificence that surrounded him.

It came at last to the ears of the king himself, and one day he said
to his minister, "Let us go and see with our own eyes if all the things
reported of this merchant's son are true."

So the king and his minister disguised themselves as foreign merchants,
and went that evening to the palace where the young man lived. A servant
dressed in clothes of gold and silver cloth stood at the door, and
called to them to come in and be made welcome. He led them in, and to a
chamber lit with perfumed lamps of gold. Then six black slaves took them
in charge and led them to a bath of white marble. They were bathed in
perfumed water and dried with towels of fine linen. When they came
forth they were clad in clothes of cloth of silver, stiff with gold and
jewels. Then twelve handsome white slaves led them through a vast and
splendid hall to a banqueting-room.

When they entered they were deafened with the noise of carousing and
merrymaking.

Aben Hassen the Fool sat at the head of the table upon a throne of
gold, with a canopy of gold above his head. When he saw the king and
the minister enter, he beckoned to them to come and sit beside him.
He showed them special favor because they were strangers, and special
servants waited upon them.

The king and his minister had never seen anything like what they then
saw. They could hardly believe it was not all magic and enchantment.
At the end of the feast each of the guests was given a present of great
value, and was sent away rejoicing. The king received a pearl as big as
a marble; the minister a cup of wrought gold.

The next morning the king and the prime-minister were talking over what
they had seen. "Sire," said the prime-minister, "I have no doubt but
that the young man has discovered some vast hidden treasure. Now,
according to the laws of this kingdom, the half of any treasure that is
discovered shall belong to the king's treasury. If I were in your place
I would send for this young man and compel him to tell me whence comes
all this vast wealth."

"That is true," said the king; "I had not thought of that before. The
young man shall tell me all about it."

So they sent a royal guard and brought the young man to the king's
palace. When the