GOOD GIFTS AND A FOOL’S FOLLY

bowl, a yard wide and a yard deep, and filled to. the
brim with shining, gleaming, dazzling jewels of all sorts.

“Now,” said the old man to the spendthrift, “I will do
to you as I promised: I will pay you as never man was
paid before for such a task. Yonder upon those three
stone tables are three great treasures: choose whichever
one you will, and it is yours.”

“JT shall not be long in choosing,” cried the young
spendthrift. ‘I shall choose the brass bow] of jewels.”

The old man laughed. ‘So be it,” said he. “ Fill
your basket from the bowl with all you can carry, and
that will be enough, provided you live wisely, to make
you rich for as long as you live.” ;

The young man needed no second bidding, but began
filling his basket with both hands, until he had in it as
much as he could carry.

Then the old man, taking the iron candlestick and the
earthen jar, led the way up the stairway again. There
the young man lowered the iron trap-door to its place,
and so soon as he had done so the other stamped his
heel upon the ground, and the earth closed of itself as
smooth and level as it had been before.

The two sat themselves upon the carpet, the one upon
the one end, and the other upon the other. “By the
horn of Jacob,” said the old man, “I command thee, O.
Carpet! to fly over hill and valley, over lake and river,
until thou hast brought us back whence we came.”

Away flew the carpet, and in a little time they were
back in the garden from which they had started upon
their journey; and there they parted company. “ Go thy
way, young man,” said the old greybeard, “and hence=
forth try to live more wisely than thou hast done hereto-

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