e farthings in value) and vanished. Next night
he put a lighted candle in each of the branches, when twelve dervishes
appeared, and having continued their gyrations for an hour each threw
down an asper and vanished. In this way did Abdallah and his mother
contrive to live for a time, till at length he resolved to carry the
candlestick to the good Dervish, hoping to obtain from him the treasure
which he had seen in the vault. He remembered his name and city, and on
reaching his dwelling found the Dervish living in a magnificent palace,
with fifty porters at the gate. The Dervish thus addressed Abdallah:
"Thou art an ungrateful wretch! Hadst thou known the value of the
candlestick thou wouldst never have brought it to me. I will show thee
its true use." Then the Dervish placed a light in each branch, whereupon
twelve dervishes appeared and began to whirl, but on his giving each a
blow with a stick, in an instant they were changed into twelve heaps of
sequins, diamonds, and other precious stones. Ungrateful as Abdallah had
shown himself, yet the Dervish gave him two camels laden with gold, and
a slave, telling him that he must depart the next morning. During the
night Abdallah stole the candlestick and placed it at the bottom of his
sacks. At daybreak he took leave of the generous Dervish and set off.
When about half a day's journey from his own city he sold the slave,
that there should be no witness to his former poverty, and bought
another in his stead. Arriving home, he carefully placed his loads of
treasure in a private chamber, and then put a light in each branch of
the candlestick; and when the twelve dervishes appeared, he dealt each
of them a blow with a stick. But he had not observed that the good
Dervish employed his left hand, and he had naturally used his right, in
consequence of which the twelve dervishes drew each from under their
robes a heavy club and beat him till he was nearly dead, and then
vanished, as did also the treasure, the camels, the slave, and the
wonder-working candlestick![49]

[49] The same story is given by the Comte de Caylus--but,
like Noble, without stating where the original is to be
found--in his _Contes Orientaux_, first published in
1745, under the title of "Histoire de Dervich
Abounadar." These entertaining tales are reproduced in
_Le Cabinet des Fees_, ed. 1786, tome xxv.--It will be
observed that the first part of the story bears a