Hatim kept awake the whole of that night in making preparations, and as soon as morning dawned he set out on his journey to the capital of China. In the course of a few days he arrived in that extensive city, and inquired for the quarter occupied by the linen merchants. The people shewed him the way thither, and when he reached the place he asked of the linen merchants, if they knew the residence of Yusuf the merchant, or whether any of his descendants still lived there. One of the linen merchants immediately went to the grandchildren of Yusuf, and said to them, “There is a stranger arrived from some far country, who is desirous to see you.” Yusuf’s grandsons instantly waited upon Hatim, who to their astonishment thus addressed them: “My good friends, I have been commissioned to visit you by your grandfather, from whom I have a message for you.” When the grandchildren of Yusuf and the people of the bazar heard this extraordinary declaration, they all laughed most heartily, and said to him in reply, “Truly, young stranger, you are quite crazy. It is a long period since Yusuf died, how then could he have sent you hither with a message?”— “How,” said Hatim, “could I have known that you reside in the linen bazar, and various other circumstances connected with you, had I not received my information from your grandfather? I have further tokens from which I shall prove my veracity if you will hear me; but the question now is, are you willing to listen to me or not?”

The people requested Hatim to proceed with his mes­sage, which he thus did: “In a certain apartment, near the bed were Yusuf was wont to sleep, there are burried vast treasures and valuable jewels, of which none but myself has any information; these you shall bring to light, and divide into four equal portions, of which you shall keep one-fourth, and bestow the other three-fourths in the way which is acceptable to God the most High, in relieving the wants of the poor and the distressed.” He then detailed to them minutely his late adventure, and having mentioned all that he had witnessed respecting their grandfather, he concluded saying, “If Yusuf himself had not sent me, how could I have known so much about your house?”

The people said to him, “We cannot proceed further in this affair without applying to our king.” The relatives of Yusuf, therefore, conducted Hatim before the august monarch of China, and being admitted into the royal presence, they represented: “Sire, this youthful stranger asserts that he has seen our grandfather Yusuf, the mer­chant, by whom he has been commissioned hither with a message for us.” The king on hearing their statement could not refrain from laughter; at last he said to them, “The young man is mad; why, it is nearly one hundred years since old Yusuf, the merchant, died; how then could this stripling have ever seen him? Foolish youth,” continued the king, addressing Hatim, “has it ever been known that the dead held any communication with the living? But you are crazy, and all that I have to say to you is, to quit my capital as soon as possible.”

Hatim firmly but respectfully replied, “Most upright king, this is one of the secret dispensation of the Almighty, and is beyond the comprehension of mortals. We believe that martyrs inherit life everlasting; Yusuf, however, when in this world was a miser, for which sin he is now in a state of torment; and should your highness be pleased to listen seriously to my statement, it will be the means of procuring him salvation. If I be mad, how do I come to possess my information respecting the treasure concealed in Yusuf’s sleeping apartment which I have never seen?” When his majesty of China heard this reply from Hatim, he desired the latter to state who he was, and how he had become concerned in this strange affair. Hatim related the cause of his journey to the tombs of the martyrs, what he had there seen, and the state of suffering to which Yusuf was doomed. “I asked him,” said Hatim, “the cause of his misery, which he told me in detailing the particulars of his past life, and also the way in which he is likely to obtain relief. For this reason, Sire, I have journied to your capital, and if you believe not my statement, at least let the apart­ment in which the treasure is hidden be strictly searched; if the gold and jewels be found as I have described them, it will be a proof of my sincerity; but if not, let me be doomed to the severest of punishment.”

The king, after some refletion, resolved to search in person the apartment of Yusuf, to which he immediately proceeded, accompanied by Hatim. In the very spot which the latter pointed out, the gold and jewels were found, to the great astonishment of the king. The treasure was divided into four equal portions, one of which was made over to the grandchildren of Yusuf, and the remainder was given in charge to Hatim by his majesty. “You,” said the king, “seem to be a man of integrity; accept this wealth then, and with your own hand distribute it in charity after such manner as you may deem proper.” Hatim for several days was occupied in his favourite task of relieving the wants of the poor, the destitute, and the stranger— in administering food to the hungry, and in clothing those who were naked.

Hatim having accomplished the object of his journey to the capital of China, began to make preparations for his return; he had the satisfaction of seeing the grandchildren of Yusuf now raised to a state of affluence, and engaged in commerce. Hatim then took leave of the monarch of China, and returning by the way he came he arrived in the city of Adālatabad; there he was affectionately received by his wife, who was by that time delivered of a son. Hatim and his friends were extremely delighted on this occasion, and called the son by name Salim. Shortly after Hatim proceeded on his journey until he came to the desert in which were the tombs of the martyrs; amidst these recep­tacles of the dead he remained three days waiting the arrival of the eve of Jumat. At the appointed hour all the martyrs, as formerly, rose into life, and among them Yusuf the merchant, but in a state different from his former condition. At midnight the tables, with food, were placed before them, of which Yusuf now partook. At the same time there appeared a table unoccupied, which was intended for Hatim, who at their request approached, and after the usual salutations, asked Yusuf how he fared.

The merchant replied: “Noble youth, by your humane exertion my condition has been improved, and I am now delivered from my state of torment; my food and drink are the same as that of the rest, but the thrones on which they sit are more splendid, and the apparel in which they are arrayed is more elegant than mine; on them too are bestowed perfumes, and substances of sweet fragrance, of which my portion is but small; but, alas, their desert is far greater than mine, for when they were in the fetters of human life their hands were ever active in charitable deeds. I, how­ever, after severe penance, have been released from my state of misery; now I am happy and possessed of salvation. You are the means whereby the Almighty has accomplished this end, and on you he will bestow the reward of the righteous.”

Hatim spent the remainder of the night there as for­merly, and when the morning dawned he departed. After traversing for several days the mountains and deserts, he came to a spot where he beheld a decrepit old woman sitting by the way-side. When the old woman observed him, she made a piteous appeal to his charity; and Hatim having pulled off a diamond ring from his finger, gave it to her and walked onwards. The old woman then cried out, “May heaven send one or two to aid me:” and in an instant seven young fellows rushed from the desert. Now those seven men were the sons of the old woman, and were notorious robbers in those quarters. The mother shewed them the diamond ring, and assured them that the traveller who gave it must be a man of wealth. The robbers overtook Hatim, and walked peaceably along with him for some space, conversing on various subjects. At last they said to him, “Noble Sir, we are here out of employment, and if you will permit us, it is our wish to accompany you to some city where we may earn our livelihood by service.”

To this request Hatim readily assented; and when the robbers found that he was duped by their false assertions, one of them came behind him, and casting a net over his head, they all seized him and conveyed him to the mouth of a pit which was close by. There they stripped him naked and took possession of all the money and jewels that he had with him; after which they wounded him in several parts of his body with their daggers, and threw him into the pit. For two or three days Hatim lay senseless; but as soon as his recollection was restored he searched for his talisman, which the robbers had fortunately left with his turban. The instant he brought it out the pit became quite dry, he then applied it to his wounds which were speedily healed.

Hatim thus restored to perfect health, could not, mild as he was, avoid making the following reflections: “What a trick those cowardly villains have played me! Well, if we should meet again I may give them something which will set their avarice for ever at rest.” Occupied with these thoughts he fell into a profound sleep, and in a dream he beheld an aged man, who thus accosted him: “O, Hatim, let not thy heart be cast down. Thinkest thou that Divine Providence has sent thee hither without some wise and unerring design? Listen, and I will tell thee the cause of thy falling into this apparent calamity. In this pit the Creator, bountiful and gracious, hath kept hīdden a treasure that is destined for thee. Arise and take posses­sion of it; for thou art capable of employing it in that way which is most acceptable to the bountiful Giver. Let sadness no longer dwell in thy heart; for he who is discon­tent is unfit for the service of God.”

To this mysterious man Hatim replied: In every state that may befall me, I am always satisfied with the unerring decrees of Providence; and though these may exceed my comprehension, yet I submit with resignation. Should the sacrifice of my life tend to promote the service of God, I am ready to yield it.”— “I am convinced,” continued the old man, “that thy words are sincere; meanwhile take away this treasure, which is thine.”— “I am alone,” said Hatim; “I cannot even liberate myself from this dungeon; of what use is it then to offer me so vast a treasure?”— “To-morrow,” replied the man, “two people will pass this way who will set thee at liberty; and by their aid you can bring out the treasure and carry it away.”— “It will be impossible for two people,” said Hatim, “to release me from this prison; and as for the treasure, it is out of the question.”— “The two people to whom I allude,” replied the man, “are able to accomplish both the one and the other,” and having thus spoken, he vanished, leaving Hatim to the enjoyment of his pleasant dream.

As soon as the morning rays dawned in the east, the two people arrived at the mouth of the pit, and called out “Ah! Hatim, are you still alive?” To this he replied, “He who at first created me, hath till now preserved me.” The two strange beings that addressed him thrust each of them a hand into the pit, which was of immense depth, and to Hatim’s astonishment, their hands reached the bottom where he lay. They called aloud to him to hold fast by their hands, which he did, and in an instant he was set at liberty. Hatim thanked his deliverers, and said to them, “in this pit there are wast treasures of gold and jewels, if you can bring them to light. I will distribute the same in the service of God, by relieving the wants of the poor and the needy.” On hearing this, one of them threw himself into the pity and handed up the treasure to the other, who remained outside. In the course of an hour all the hidden stores of the pit were brought up and packed together, so as to be easily carried; after which the two people took leave of Hatim and departed.

Hatim, for some time viewed his treasure, and thus communed with himself: “How can I best dispose of all this wealth? If these accursed villains that lately maltreated me were here I should bestow it all upon them, that they might for once be satisfied, and cease from oppressing their fellow-creatures.” He then selected from the store a suit of apparel, in which he dressed himself; and having filled a large bag with the most valuable jewels, he departed in quest of the old woman and her seven sons. He had not far advanced when he espied the object of his search, sitting, as formerly, by the way side. On seeing her Hatim was extremely delighted, and walking up to her, he put his hand into his bundle and pulled out a handful of the finest and most costly jewels, which he scattered around her. The old woman, as formerly, gave the signal to her sons by exclaiming, “May heaven send one or two to aid me;” and forthwith the seven robbers presented themselves, and surrounding Hatim, asked him whither he was journeying. Hatim addressed them thus: “My good friends, I have one request to beg of you, which I hope you will allow me.”

The thieves desired him to speak, whereupon he thus continued: “You hunger and thirst for gold and worldly wealth; abandon your present iniquitous way of life, and withdraw your hands from oppressing your neighbours, and I will enrich you with gold and jewels to such a degree as will satisfy your utmost wishes.” To this exhortation the thieves replied, “Hunger and want have driven us to this avocation; and of course, if you give us all this wealth, we shall speedily abandon a line of life which is hateful to God and oppressive to man.”— “Well,” said Hatim, “repent of your past deeds, and give me your solemn and sincere promise never to transgress in future, and I shall satisfy your wants.”— “But ere we can conscientiously give you this promise,” replied the thieves, “shew us that immense treasure which you are to bestow upon us.” Hatim opened his bag and displayed the treasures which he possessed; on seeing which the thieves unanimously requested him to impose upon them whatever terms he choose. “Swear to me,” said Hatim, “a solemn oath in the following words: ‘Before God the wise and supreme, who observeth and knoweth all things, we promise never to lay our hands on the property of our fellow-creatures, nor henceforth to injure any one; otherwise may the wrath of heaven be upon us, and may, our past deeds, of which we sincerely repent, never be forgiven.”