A few said that there was one man in their neighborhood who seemed to
have had some sort of good luck.
This man was a gardener. A year ago he was so poor that he had scarcely
clothes for his back. His children were crying for food. But lately
everything had changed for him. Both he and his family dressed well;
they had plenty to eat; he had even bought a horse to help him carry
his produce to market.
The caliph at once gave orders for the gardener to be brought before
him the next day. He also ordered that the merchant should come at the
same time.
Before noon the next day the gardener was admitted to the palace. As
soon as he entered the hall the caliph went to meet him. "Good friend,"
he said, "if you should find something that we have lost, what would
you do with it?"
[Illustration]
The gardener put his hand under his cloak and drew out the very bag
that the merchant had lost.
"Here it is, my lord," he said.
At sight of his lost treasure, the merchant began to dance and shout
for joy.
"Tell us," said Al Mansour to the gardener, "tell us how you came to
find that bag."
The gardener answered: "A year ago, as I was spading in my garden, I
saw something fall at the foot of a palm tree.
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