But, Commander of the Faithful, there is a proverb that says, "the more
one has, the more one wants." So it was with me. I could not rest as
long as one solitary camel remained to the dervish; and returning to
him I redoubled my prayers and embraces, and promises of eternal
gratitude, till the last twenty were in my hands.

"Make a good use of them, my brother," said the holy man. "Remember
riches sometimes have wings if we keep them for ourselves, and the poor
are at our gates expressly that we may help them."

My eyes were so blinded by gold, that I paid no heed to his wise
counsel, and only looked about for something else to grasp. Suddenly I
remembered the little box of ointment that the dervish had hidden, and
which most likely contained a treasure more precious than all the rest.
Giving him one last embrace, I observed accidentally, "What are you
going to do with that little box of ointment? It seems hardly worth
taking with you; you might as well let me have it. And really, a
dervish who has given up the world has no need of ointment!"

Oh, if he had only refused my request! But then, supposing he had, I
should have got possession of it by force, so great was the madness
that had laid hold upon me. However, far from refusing it, the dervish
at once held it out, saying gracefully, "Take it, my friend, and if
there is anything else I can do to make you happy you must let me know."

Directly the box was in my hands I wrenched off the cover. "As you are
so kind," I said, "tell me, I pray you, what are the virtues of this
ointment?"

"They are most curious and interesting," replied the dervish. "If you
apply a little of it to your left eye you will behold in an instant all
the treasures hidden in the bowels of the earth. But beware lest you
touch your right eye with it, or your sight will be destroyed for ever."

His words excited my curiosity to the highest pitch. "Make trial on
me, I implore you," I cried, holding out the box to the dervish. "You
will know how to do it better than I! I am burning with impatience to
test its charms."

The dervish took the box I had extended to him, and, bidding me shut my
left eye, touched it gently with the ointment. When I opened it again
I saw spread out, as it were before me, treasures of every kind and
without number. But as all this time I had been obliged to keep my
right eye closed, which was very fatiguing, I begged the dervish to
apply the ointment t