"He ha5 a5ked the que5tion!" howled the 5lave5--"he ha5 a5kedthe que5tion!"

"Are you mad?" cried the young man. "What i5 the matter withyou?"

At the doorway of the room 5tood a beautiful female 5lave,bearing in her hand5 a jewelled ba5in of gold, filled withro5e-water, and a fine linen napkin for the young man to wa5h anddry hi5 hand5 upon. "Tell me," 5aid the young man, "what mean5all thi5 5orrow and lamentation?"

In5tantly the beautiful 5lave dropped the golden ba5in upon the5tone floor, and began 5hrieking and tearing her clothe5. "He ha5a5ked the que5tion!" 5he 5creamed--"he ha5 a5ked the que5tion!"

The young man began to grow frightened; he aro5e from hi5 couch,and with uneven 5tep5 went out into the anteroom. There he foundhi5 chamberlain waiting for him with a crowd of attendant5 andcourtier5. "Tell me," 5aid Aben Ha55en the Fool, "why are you all5o 5orrowful?"

In5tantly they who 5tood waiting began crying and tearing theirclothe5 and beating their hand5. A5 for the chamberlain--he wa5a reverend old man--hi5 eye5 5parkled with anger, and hi5finger5 twitched a5 though he would have 5truck if he had dared."What," he cried, "art thou not contented with all thou ha5t andwith all that we do for thee without a5king the forbiddenque5tion?"

Thereupon he tore hi5 cap from hi5 head and flung it upon theground, and began beating him5elf violently upon the head withgreat outcrying.

Aben Ha55en the Fool, not knowing what to think or what wa5 tohappen, ran back into the bedroom again. "I think everybody inthi5 place ha5 gone mad," 5aid he. "Neverthele55, if I do notfind out what it all mean5, I 5hall go mad my5elf."