young man saw in the king and the prime-minister his
guests of the night before, whom he had thought to be only foreign
merchants, he fell on his face and kissed the ground before the throne.
But the king spoke to him kindly, and raised him up and sat him on the
seat beside him. They talked for a while concerning different things,
and then the king said at last, "Tell me, my friend, whence comes all
the inestimable wealth that you must possess to allow you to live as you
do?"

"Sire," said the young man, "I cannot tell you whence it comes. I can
only tell you that it is given to me."

The king frowned. "You cannot tell," said he; "you must tell. It is for
that that I have sent for you, and you must tell me."

Then the young man began to be frightened. "I beseech you," said he, "do
not ask me whence it comes. I cannot tell you."

Then the king's brows grew as black as thunder. "What!" cried he, "do
you dare to bandy words with me? I know that you have discovered some
treasure. Tell me upon the instant where it is; for the half of it, by
the laws of the land, belongs to me, and I will have it."

At the king's words Aben Hassen the Fool fell on his knees. "Sire,"
said he, "I will tell you all the truth. There is a demon named Zadok--a
monster as black as a coal. He is my slave, and it is he that brings me
all the treasure that I enjoy." The king thought nothing else than that
Aben Hassen the Fool was trying to deceive him. He laughed; he was
very angry. "What," cried he, "do you amuse me by such an absurd and
unbelievable tale? Now I am more than ever sure that you have discovered
a treasure and that you wish to keep the knowledge of it from me,
knowing, as you do, that the one-half of it by law belongs to me. Take
him away!" cried he to his attendants. "Give him fifty lashes, and throw
him into prison. He shall stay there and have fifty lashes every day
until he tells me where his wealth is hidden."

It was done as the king said, and by-and-by Aben Hassen the Fool lay in
the prison, smarting and sore with the whipping he had had.

Then he began again to think of the Talisman of Solomon.

"Tell me," said he to the Talisman, "What shall I do now to help myself
in this trouble?"

"Bear thy punishment, thou fool," said the Talisman. "Know that the king
will by-and-by pardon thee and will let thee go. In the meantime bear
thy punishment; perhaps it will cure thee of thy folly. Only do not call
upon Zadok, the King o