"O Caliph," he said, "here are a few jewels which I had
reserved as a present for my wife. But I have met with such bad luck
that I am forced to sell them. I pray that you will look at them and
take them at your own price."
Al Mansour noticed that the merchant was very sad and downcast. "Why,
what has happened to you?" he asked. "Have you been sick?"
Then the merchant told him how the eagle had flown away with his money.
"Why didn't you come to us before?" he asked. "We might have done
something to help you. Toward what place was the eagle flying when you
last saw it?"
"It was flying toward the Black Mountains," answered the merchant.
The next morning the caliph called ten of his officers before him.
"Ride at once to the Black Mountains," he said. "Find all the old men
that live on the mountains or in the flat country around, and command
them to appear before me one week from to-day."
The officers did as they were bidden. On the day appointed, forty gray-
bearded, honest old men stood before the caliph. All were asked the
same question. "Do you know of any person who was once poor but who
has lately and suddenly become well-to-do?"
Most of the old men answered that they did not know of any such person.
Pages:
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125