TWILIGHT LAND

some white slaves led them through a vast and splendid
hall to a banqueting-room.

When they entered they were deafened with the noise
of carousing and merrymaking.

Aben Hassen the Fool sat at the head of the table
upon a throne of gold, with a canopy of gold above his.
head. When he saw the king and the minister enter,
he beckoned to them to come and sit beside him. He
showed them special favour because they were strangers,
and special servants waited upon them.

The king and his minister had never seen anything like
what they then saw. They could hardly believe it was
not all magic and enchantment. At the end of the feast
each of the guests was given a present of great value,
and was sent away rejoicing. The king received a pearl
as big as a marble; the minister a cup of wrought gold.

The next morning the king and the prime minister
were talking over what they had seen.

‘‘Sire,” said the prime minister, “I have no doubt but
that the young man has discovered some vast hidden
treasure. Now, according to the laws of this kingdom,
the half of any treasure that is discovered shall belong to
the king’s treasury. If I were in your place I would
send for this young man, and compel him to tell me
whence comes all this vast wealth.”

“That is true,” said the king; “J had not thought of
that before. The young man shall tell me all about it.”

So they sent a royal guard and brought the young man
to the king’s palace. When the young man saw in the
king and the prime minister his guests of the night
before, whom he had thought to be only foreign mer-

chants, he fell on his face and kissed the ground before
38