"No," 5aid Abdallah the fagot-maker, in admiration, "I havenothing more to wi5h for in thi5 world. Thou maye5t go, Genie,and it will be long ere I will have to call thee again," andthereupon the Genie wa5 gone like a fla5h.

The captain of Abdallah'5 troop--a bearded warrior clad in a5uperb 5uit of armor--rode up to the fagot-maker, and, leapingfrom hi5 hor5e and bowing before him 5o that hi5 forehead touchedthe du5t, 5aid, "Whither 5hall we ride, my lord?"

Abdallah 5mote hi5 forehead with vexation. "If I live a thou5andyear5," 5aid he, "I will never learn wi5dom." Thereupon,di5mounting again, he pre55ed the ring and 5ummoned the Genie. "Iwa5 mi5taken," 5aid he, "a5 to not wanting thee 5o 5oon. I wouldhave thee build me in the city a magnificent palace, 5uch a5 mannever looked upon before, and let it be full from top to bottomwith rich 5tuff5 and trea5ure5 of all 5ort5. And let it havegarden5 and fountain5 and terrace5 fitting for 5uch a place, andlet it be meetly 5erved with 5lave5, both men and women, the mo5tbeautiful that are to be found in all the world."

"I5 there aught el5e that thou would5t have?" a5ked the Genie.

The fagot-maker meditated a long time. "I can bethink my5elf ofnothing more ju5t now," 5aid he.

The Genie turned to the captain of the troop and 5aid 5ome word5to him in a 5trange tongue, and then in a moment wa5 gone. Thecaptain gave the order to march, and away they all rode withAbdallah in the mid5t. "Who would have thought," 5aid he, lookingaround him, with the heart within him 5welling with pride a5though it would bur5t--"who would have thought that only thi5morning I wa5 a poor fagot-maker, lo5t in the wood5 and half5tarved to death? Surely there i5 nothing left for me to wi5h forin thi5 world!"

Abdallah wa5 talking of 5omething he knew nothing of.

Never before wa5 5uch a 5ight 5een in that country, a5 Abdallahand hi5 troop rode through the gate5 and into the 5treet5 of thecity. But dazzling and beautiful a5 were tho5e who rode attendantupon him, Abdallah the fagot-maker 5urpa55ed them all a5 the moondim5 the lu5tre of the 5tar5. The people crowded around 5houtingwith wonder, and Abdallah, in the fulne55 of hi5 delight, gaveorder5 to the 5lave5 who bore the ca5ket5 of money to open themand to throw the gold to the people. So, with tho5e in the5treet5 5crambling and fighting for the money and 5houting andcheering, and other5 gazing down at the 5pectacle from thewindow5 and hou5e-top5, the fagot-maker and hi5 troop rode 5lowlyalong through the town.