n, he would never
have been able to move from the spot, so great was the weight of the
gold. However, he reached his room unnoticed, and secured the gold under
the cushions of his couch.

When Little Muck found himself in possession of such wealth, he
believed that a new leaf would be turned, and he should win many
friends and followers among his enemies: from which reasoning one may
readily perceive that the good Little Muck could not have received a
very good bringing up, or he would never have dreamed of securing true
friends through the medium of money. Alas, that he did not then step
into his slippers, and scamper off with his cloak full of gold!

The gold, which Little Muck from this time forth distributed so
generously, awakened the envy of the other court servants. The chief
cook, Ahuli, said: "He is a counterfeiter!" The steward, Achmet,
declared: "He coaxes it out of the king!" But Archaz, the treasurer,
and Muck's bitterest enemy, who occasionally dipped into the king's
cash box himself, exclaimed decidedly: "He has stolen it!"

In order to make sure of their case, they all acted in concert; and the
head cup-bearer placed himself in the way of the king, one day, looking
very sad and cast-down. So remarkably sad was his countenance, that the
king inquired the cause of his sorrow. "Alas!" replied he, "I am sad
because I have lost the favor of my master." "What fancy is that,
friend Korchuz? Since when have I kept the sun of my favor from
lighting on you?" asked the king. The head cup-bearer replied that the
king had loaded the confidential body-messenger with gold, but had
given nothing to his poor, faithful servants.

The king was very much surprised at this news, and listened to an
account of the liberal gifts of Little Muck, while the conspirators
easily created the suspicion in the royal mind that Muck had by some
means stolen the gold from the treasury. This turn of affairs was very
welcome to the treasurer, who, without it, would not have cared to
render an account of the cash in his keeping. The king, therefore, gave
an order that a secret watch should be kept on every step of Little
Muck, to catch him, if possible, in the act.

On the night following this unlucky day, as Little Muck took his spade
and stole out into the garden, with the intention of replenishing the
heap of gold in his chamber, which his liberality had so wasted, he was
followed at a distance by a guard, led by Ahuli, the cook, and