western
side. On alighting from the boat, he pointed to a solitary tree some
distance off, and said to me, 'Now go your way, and do not trouble
yourself further about me till to-morrow; nor indeed will it be in your
power, even should you desire it, for as soon as I have left you, you
will at once forget me. But to-morrow, at this same hour of noon, you
will suddenly call me to mind. Then go to that tree which you see before
you, I shall be lying dead in its shade. Say the customary prayers over
my corpse, and bury me; then take my robe, my staff and the water-skin,
and return with them to the other side of the river; there deliver them
to him who shall first ask them of you. This is my commission.'

"Having said this, he immediately departed. I looked after him, but soon
lost sight of him; and then, as he had himself already forewarned me, I
utterly forgot him. But next day, at the approach of noon, I suddenly
remembered the event, and hastily crossing the river alone, I came to
the western bank, and then made straight for the tree. In its shade I
found him stretched out at full length, with a calm and smiling face,
but dead. I recited over him the customary prayers, and buried him in
the sand at the foot of the tree; then I took the garment, the staff and
the water-skin, and returned to my boat. Arrived at the eastern side, I
found standing on the shore to meet me a young man whom I knew as a most
dissolute fellow of the town, a hired musician by profession. He was
gaudily dressed, his countenance bore the traces of recent debauch, and
his fingers were stained with henna. 'Give me the bequest,' said he.
Amazed at such a demand from such a character, 'What bequest?' I
answered. 'The staff, the water-skin and the garment,' was his reply.
Thereupon I drew them, though unwillingly, from the bottom of the boat,
where I had concealed them, and gave them to him. He at once stripped
off his gay clothes, put on the tattered robe, hung the water-skin round
his neck, took the staff in his hand, and turned to depart.

"I, however, caught hold of him and exclaimed, 'For God's sake, ere you
go, tell me the meaning of this, and how this bequest has become yours,
such as I know you.' 'By no merit of my own, certainly,' answered he;
'but I passed last night at a wedding-feast, with many boon companions,
in singing, drinking deep, and mad debauch. As the night wore away and
morning drew near, tired out with pleasure and heavy with wine