ng he saw. At last he found something that, on account of its
high price, made a great impression on him. It was a Turkish sword
that a cunning jeweller had studded thickly with diamonds on handle
and sheath. The dealer asked fifteen hundred golden coins for it, and
the bystanders stared with open eyes at the man who dared to bargain
for such costly possessions. Just as Ali Hassuf was weighing the
precious sword in his hand, a palanquin was borne through the crowd.
He turned, and through the drawn curtains caught sight of a maiden of
wondrous beauty. When he heard that she was the Caliph's daughter, the
desire awoke in his soul to marry this lovely creature, and it seemed
to him not unlikely that the Caliph would give his daughter to a man
of such note as he would become as the possessor of the magic diamond.
He decided to buy the sword, and, armed with the same, to visit the
Caliph the very next day.

"I shall come again the very first thing to-morrow morning," he said
to the dealer. "I have not quite enough money with me now, but I shall
procure it this evening. I had quite expected," he added boastingly,
"that the sword would be expensive."

He turned and went home, where he saddled the thin ass and hung across
its back two large panniers. When it grew dark he softly drove the
beast through the yard and led it out into the desert. For about an
hour he walked, and in imagination saw himself in possession of all
the glories the talisman would bring him. He had not noticed that he
was followed by three dark forms, who had never lost sight of him
since his visit to the bazaar. He halted by a group of stunted palms,
spread out a large cloth, and with trembling fingers began to rub the
diamond, crying at the same time, "Spirit of the Stone! send me at
once twenty shekels of golden coins!" He waited a moment, and listened
in the darkness, thinking he heard whispering voices. But as all was
silent he repeated his wish for the second and third time. He heard a
noise as of the falling of soft, heavy weights, and, on stooping,
found twenty well-filled sacks. He opened one, and felt inside. And,
truly! it was really gold in bright new coins! With feverish haste he
slung the sacks on the ass's back, and turned its head homeward.
Suddenly he heard once more the same mysterious whisperings, this time
in his immediate neighbourhood. He stood still and listened with
bated breath. He felt himself seized by heavy hands and thrown to t