y was shrouded
in gloom, and everywhere was weeping and crying.

Seven black slaves stood on guard near Aben Hassen the Fool as he lay
upon his couch. "What means all this sorrow?" said he to one of the
slaves.

Instantly all the slaves began howling and beating their heads, and he
to whom the young man had spoken fell down with his face in the dust,
and lay there twisting and writhing like a worm.

"He has asked the question!" howled the slaves--"he has asked the
question!"

"Are you mad?" cried the young man. "What is the matter with you?"

At the doorway of the room stood a beautiful female slave, bearing in
her hands a jewelled basin of gold, filled with rose-water, and a fine
linen napkin for the young man to wash and dry his hands upon. "Tell
me," said the young man, "what means all this sorrow and lamentation?"

Instantly the beautiful slave dropped the golden basin upon the stone
floor, and began shrieking and tearing her clothes. "He has asked the
question!" she screamed--"he has asked the question!"

The young man began to grow frightened; he arose from his couch,
and with uneven steps went out into the anteroom. There he found his
chamberlain waiting for him with a crowd of attendants and courtiers.
"Tell me," said Aben Hassen the Fool, "why are you all so sorrowful?"

Instantly they who stood waiting began crying and tearing their clothes
and beating their hands. As for the chamberlain--he was a reverend old
man--his eyes sparkled with anger, and his fingers twitched as though
he would have struck if he had dared. "What," he cried, "art thou not
contented with all thou hast and with all that we do for thee without
asking the forbidden question?"

Thereupon he tore his cap from his head and flung it upon the ground,
and began beating himself violently upon the head with great outcrying.

Aben Hassen the Fool, not knowing what to think or what was to happen,
ran back into the bedroom again. "I think everybody in this place has
gone mad," said he. "Nevertheless, if I do not find out what it all
means, I shall go mad myself."

Then he bethought himself, for the first time since he came to that
land, of the Talisman of Solomon.

"Tell me, O Talisman," said he, "why all these people weep and wail so
continuously?"

"Rest content," said the Talisman of Solomon, "with knowing that which
concerns thine own self, and seek not to find an answer that will be
to thine own undoing. Be thou also further adv