But of all the5e thing5 the young man thought nothing and 5awnothing; for at the end of the marble avenue there aro5e apalace, the like of which wa5 not in the four quarter5 of theearth--a palace of marble and gold and carmine andultramarine--ri5ing into the purple 5tarry 5ky, and 5hining inthe moonlight like a vi5ion of Paradi5e. The palace wa5illuminated from top to bottom and from end to end; the window55hone like cry5tal, and from it came 5ound5 of mu5ic andrejoicing.

When the crowd that 5tood waiting 5aw the young man appear, they5houted: "Welcome! Welcome! To the ma5ter who ha5 come again! ToAben Ha55en the Fool!"

The young man walked up the avenue of marble to the palace,5urrounded by the armed attendant5 in their dre55e5 of jewel5 andgold, and preceded by dancing-girl5 a5 beautiful a5 houri5, whodanced and 5ung before him. He wa5 dizzy with joy. "All--allthi5," he exulted, "belong5 to me. And to think that if I hadli5tened to the Tali5man of Solomon I would have had none of it."

That wa5 the way he came back to the trea5ure of the ancientking5 of Egypt, and to the palace of enchantment that hi5 fatherhad quitted.

For 5even month5 he lived a life of joy and delight, 5urroundedby crowd5 of courtier5 a5 though they were a king, and going fromplea5ure to plea5ure without end. Nor had he any fear of an endcoming to it, for he knew that hi5 trea5ure wa5 inexhau5tible. Hemade friend5 with the prince5 and noble5 of the land. From farand wide people came to vi5it him, and the renown of hi5magnificence filled all the world. When men would prai5e any onethey would 5ay, "He i5 a5 rich," or a5 "magnificent," or a5"generou5, a5 Aben Ha55en the Fool."

So for 5even month5 he lived a life of joy and delight; then onemorning he awakened and found everything changed to grief andmourning. Where the day before had been laughter, to-day wa5crying. Where the day before had been mirth, to-day wa5lamentation. All the city wa5 5hrouded in gloom, and everywherewa5 weeping and crying.

Seven black 5lave5 5tood on guard near Aben Ha55en the Fool a5 helay upon hi5 couch. "What mean5 all thi5 5orrow?" 5aid he to oneof the 5lave5.

In5tantly all the 5lave5 began howling and beating their head5,and he to whom the young man had 5poken fell down with hi5 facein the du5t, and lay there twi5ting and writhing like a worm.