‘“It is time, my son, to reveal an important secret to you. If I had, as sole wealth, only this house with the riches which you see in it, I should think I was leaving you only a moderate fortune; but all the wealth that I have amassed during the course of my life, although considerable for a merchant, is nothing in comparison with the treasure which is concealed in the house, and which I wish to discover to you. I shall not tell you how long, by whom, nor how it happens to be here, for I do not know. All that I know is that my grandfather in dying discovered it to my father, who also made me the same confidence a few days before his death.

‘“But” he continued, “I have an advice to give you, and beware of despising it. You are naturally generous. When you see yourself in a position to follow out your inclination, you will not fail to be prodigal with your wealth. You will receive magnificently the strangers who come to you. You will overwhelm them with presents, and you will do good to all those who implore your aid.

‘“This conduct, which I should highly approve if you could maintain it with impunity, will be the cause of your destruction. You will live with so much magnificence that you will excite the envy of the King of Bassora or the avarice of his ministers. They will suspect you of having a hidden treasure, and will spare no pains to discover it, and they will take it from you. To prevent this misfortune, you have only to follow my example. I have always, like my grandfather and my father, exercised my profession and enjoyed this treasure without display. We have indulged in no expense at which the world has been sur­prised.”

‘I did not fail to promise the merchant that I would imitate his prudence. He told me where the treasure was, and he assured me that however great an idea I might form of the wealth which it contained I should find it still more considerable than I had imagined. Indeed, after this generous old man was dead, and as his only heir I had rendered him the last services, I took possession of all his goods, of which this house forms a part, and I went to see the treasure, I will admit to you, my lord, that I was astonished at it. If it is not inexhaustible it is at least so rich that I could not exhaust it were Heaven to allow me to live longer than other men.

‘So far from keeping the promise which I made the merchant, I spread my riches broadcast. There is no one in Bassora who has not experienced my favours. Is not daring to touch a treasure, possessing it? And can I make a better use of it than by employing it to relieve the unfortunate, to receive strangers well, and to lead a delicious life.

‘Everyone imagined at first that I was going to ruin myself a second time. “Had Aboulcasem,” they said, “all the treasures of the Commander of the Faithful, he would dissipate them.” But they were very much astonished when, instead of seeing the least disorder in my affairs, they appeared on the contrary to become day by day more flourishing. They could not conceive how I could augment my wealth whilst lavishly spending it.

‘I, however, made so much display, that at last I roused envy against myself, as the old man had predicted. The rumour spread in the town that I had found a treasure. That was all that was wanted to attract to me greedy persons. The lieutenant of police came to see me.

‘“I am,” he said, “the lieutenant of police, and I come to ask you where the treasure is which enables you to live with so much magnificence.”

‘I was troubled at these words and remained silent. He concluded from my embarrassed manner that the reports about me in the town were not without foundation. But instead of pressing me to discover my treasure to him: “Lord Aboulcasem,” he continued, “I dis­charge my duty like a sensible man. Make me a present worthy of my discretion and I will retire.”

‘“How much do you require?” I said to him.

‘“I will content myself,” he replied, “with ten gold sequins a day.”

‘I replied to him: “It is not enough, I will give you a hundred. You have only to come here every day or every month, and my treasurer will give them you.”

‘The lieutenant of police was transported with joy when he heard these words.

‘“My lord,” he said, “I would that you had found a thousand treasures. Enjoy your wealth in peace. I shall never trouble your possession of it.”

‘He took a large sum in advance and went away. A little time after, the vizir Aboulfatah-Waschy sent for me, and having had me admitted into his cabinet, he said to me:

‘“O young man, I have learnt that you have discovered a treasure. You know that the fifth part belongs to God. You must give it to the king. Therefore pay the fifth part and you shall remain in tranquil possession of the four other parts.”

‘I replied: “My lord, I will admit to you that I have found a treasure, and at the same time I swear to you by the great God who has created us both, that I will not discover it, even if I were torn to pieces. But I undertake to give you every day a thousand gold sequins, provided that you then leave me in peace.”

‘Aboulfatah was as amenable as the lieutenant of police. He sent me a confidential man to whom my treasurer gave thirty thousand sequins for the first month.

‘This vizir, fearing no doubt that the King of Bassora would hear what was going on, preferred to tell him himself. This prince listened very attentively to him, and the matter seeming to him to merit investigation, he wished to see me. He received me laughing and said: “O young man, why do you not show me your treasure? Do you think me unjust enough to take it from you?”

‘“Sire,” I replied, “may the life of your majesty endure with the centuries; but were my flesh torn from me with hot irons, I will not dis­cover my treasure. I consent to pay to your majesty every day two thousand gold sequins. If you refuse to accept them, and you think it more desirable to have me put to death, you have only to command. I am ready to suffer all imaginable tortures rather than satisfy your curiosity.”

‘At this speech the king looked towards his vizir and asked his advice.

‘“Sire,” said the minister, “the sum which he offers you is so considerable that it is the discovery of a real treasure. Let this young man go. Let him live with his ordinary magnificence; only let him be careful to keep exactly his word to your majesty.”

‘The king followed this advice. He caressed me much. And since that time, according to our agreement, I pay every year, to him as well as to the vizir and the lieutenant of police, more than a million and sixty thousand gold sequins.

‘There, my lord, is what you wished to learn. You must no longer be surprised at the presents which I have made you, nor at all that you have seen here.’

When Aboulcasem had finished the account of his adventures, the caliph, animated by a violent desire to see the treasure, said to him:

‘Is it possible that there is in the world a treasure which your generosity is not capable of soon exhausting? No, I cannot believe it, and if it were not exacting too much from you, my lord, I would ask to see the treasure you possess, swear­ing to you by all that can make an oath inviolable that I will not abuse your confidence.’

The son of Abdelaziz seemed distressed at the speech of the caliph: ‘I am sorry, my lord,’ he said, ‘that you have this curiosity. I can only satisfy it on very disagreeable conditions.’

‘No matter,’ cried the prince, ‘what these con­ditions may be, I submit to them without repug­nance.’

‘I must,’ replied Aboulcasem, ‘bind your eyes and conduct you without arms and bareheaded, with a scimitar in my hand, ready to strike you a thousand mortal blows if you violate the laws of hospitality. I know well,’ he added, ‘that I might be accused of imprudence, and that I ought not to yield to your desire; but I rely on the fidelity of your oaths, and moreover, I cannot bring myself to send away a guest discontented.’

‘Pray,’ said the caliph, ‘satisfy my desires immediately.’

‘That cannot be at once,’ replied the young man; ‘but stay here to-night. When all the servants are at rest, I will come and fetch you from the apartment to which I am going to con­duct you.’

At these words he called, and, by the light of a great quantity of candles carried by slaves in gold candle-sticks, he conducted the prince into a magnificent room and retired to his own. The slaves undressed the caliph, laid him to rest and retired, after having placed at the head and feet of the bed their candles, the perfumed wax of which gave out a pleasant scent in burning.

Instead of thinking of taking some repose, Haroun-al-Raschid awaited Aboulcasem impa­tiently. He did not fail to come and fetch him in the middle of the night, and said, ‘My lord, all my servants are asleep, a profound silence reigns in the house, I can now show you my treasure on the conditions that I have told you.’