ome and ask me how I had improved his two
hundred pieces of gold, and advanced my fortune by means of his
liberality. I saw no remedy but to resolve to submit to the
confusion I should feel, though it was by no fault of mine this
time, any more than before, that our misfortune had happened.

The two friends stayed away longer this time than the former,
though Saad had often spoken to Saadi, who always put it off;
for, said he, "The longer we stay away, the richer Hassan will
be, and I shall have the greater satisfaction."

Saad, who had not the same opinion of the effect of his friend's
generosity, replied, "You fancy then that your last present will
have been turned to a better account than the former. I would
advise you not to flatter yourself too much, for fear you may be
more sensibly mortified if it should prove otherwise." "Why,"
replied Saadi, "vultures do not fly away with turbans every day;
and Hassan will have been more cautious this time."

"I do not doubt it," replied Saad; "but," added he, "there are
other accidents that neither you nor I can think of; therefore, I
say again, moderate your expectations, and do not depend too much
on Hassan's success; for to tell you what I think, and what I
always thought (whether you like to hear it or not), I have a
secret presentiment that you will not have accomplished your
purpose, and that I shall succeed better in proving that a poor
man may sooner become rich by other means than money."

One day, when Saad and Saadi were disputing upon this subject,
Saad observed that enough had been said; "I am resolved,"
continued he, "to inform myself this very day what has passed; it
is a pleasing time for walking, let us not lose it, but go and
see which of us has lost the wager." I saw them at a distance,
was overcome with confusion, and was just going to leave my work,
to run and hide myself. However I refrained, appeared very
earnest at work, made as if I had not seen them, and never lifted
up my eyes till they were close to me and had saluted me, and
then I could not help myself. I hung down my head, told them my
last misfortune, with all the circumstances, and that I was as
poor as when they first saw me.

"After that," I added, "you may say that I ought to have hidden
my money in another place than in a pot of bran, which was
carried out of my house the same day: but that pot had stood
there many years, and had never been removed, whenever my wife
parted with the