ed with mortal houris. And this is the history of the fakir Abhoc.

A day and a night passed, and the morrow came. Again there passed a wise
doctor of laws, Abhac by name, who was editing a text to which a hundred
and thirty-two different interpretations had been given by Eastern Cokes
and Littletons. He had just hit upon the hundred and thirty-third--of
course the true one--when the sight described already struck him and put
the discovery quite out of his head, to be lost for ever. As became a
jurist, he was rather a more practical person than the woodcutter or the
fakir, if not than the lizard. His human predecessors were, evidently,
thieves, and must be brought to justice, but it would be well to secure
"pieces of conviction." So he began to wrap up the coins in his turban
and carry them away. But there were so many, and it was so heavy, that
he grew very weary. So he too laid him down and slept. And this is the
history of the doctor Abhac.

But on the fifth day there appeared a much more formidable person than
the others, and also a much more criminous. This was the "King of the
Desert"--bandit and blackmailer of caravans. Being apparently a bandit
of letters, he reflected that, though lizards, being, after all,
miniature dragons, were immemorial guardians of treasure, they could not
have any right in it, but were most inconveniently likely to wake if any
noise were made. The others were three to one--too heavy odds by
daylight. But if he sat down by them till night came he could stab them
one by one while they were asleep, and perhaps breakfast on the
kardouon--said to be quite good meat. And he went to sleep himself. And
this is the history of the King of the Desert.

But next day again the venerable Lokman passed by, and _he_ saw that the
tree was a upas tree and the sleepers were dead. And he understood it
all, and he passed his hand through his beard and fell on his face, and
gave glory to God. And then he buried the three covetous ones in
separate graves under the upas itself. But he put Xailoun in a safer
place, that his friends might come and do right to him; and he buried
the kardouon apart on a little slope facing the sun, such as lizards
love, and near Xailoun. And, lastly, having stroked his beard again, he
buried the treasure too. But he was very old: and he was very weary when
he had finished this, and God took him.

And on the seventh day there came an angel and promised Xailoun
Paradise, and made