a camel nor a mule under a burden. I am neither the lord of vassals nor
the vassal of a lord. I think not of present sorrows or past vanities,
but breathe the breath of ease and live the life of freedom!"

A gentleman mounted on a camel said to him, "O dervish, whither are you
going? return, or you must perish miserably." He did not heed what he
said, but entered the desert on foot and proceeded. On our reaching the
palm plantation of Mahmud, fate overtook the rich man, and he died. The
dervish went up to his bier and said, "I did not perish amidst hardship
on foot, and you expired on a camel's back." A person sat all night
weeping by the side of a sick friend. Next day he died, and the invalid
recovered!--Yes! many a fleet horse perished by the way, and that lame
ass reached the end of the journey. How many of the vigorous and hale
did they put underground, and that wounded man recovered!

* * * * *


XVIII

In the territory of the Greeks a caravan was attacked by robbers, and
plundered of much property. The merchants set up a lamentation and
complaint, and besought the intercession of God and the prophet; but all
to no purpose.--When the gloomy-minded robber is flushed with victory,
what will he feel for the traveller's despair.

Lucman, the fabulist and philosopher, happened to be among them. One of
the travellers spoke to him, saying, "Direct some maxims of wisdom and
admonition to them; perhaps they may restore a part of our goods; for it
were a pity that articles of such value should be cast away." He