ion in his countenance,
which restored the tailor and his comrades to life. "I cannot but
acknowledge," said he, "that I am more struck with the history of
the young cripple, with that of the barber, and with the
adventures of his brothers, than with the story of my jester: but
before I send you all away, and we proceed to bury humpback, I
should like to see the barber who is the occasion of my pardoning
you; since he is in my capital, it is easy to satisfy my
curiosity." At the same time he sent an officer with the tailor
to find him.

The officer and the tailor went immediately and brought the
barber, whom they presented to the sultan: the barber was a
venerable man about ninety years of age; his eye-brows and beard
were white as snow, his ears hanging down, and his nose very
long. The sultan could not forbear laughing when he saw him.
"Silent man," said he to him, "I understand that you know
wonderful stories, will you tell me some of them?"

"Sir," answered the barber, "let us forbear the stories, if you
please, at present. I most humbly beg your majesty to permit me
to ask what that Christian, that Jew, that Moosulmaun and that
dead humpback, who ties on the ground, do here before your
majesty?" The sultan smiled at the barber's freedom, and replied,
"Why do you ask?" "Sir," replied the barber, "it concerns me to
ask, that your majesty may know I am not so great a talker as
some represent me, but a man justly called Silent."

The sultan commanded them to tell him the story of the humpback,
which he seemed earnestly to wish for. When the barber heard it,
he shook his head, as if he would say, there was something under
this which he did not understand. "Truly," cried he, "this is a
surprising story; but I wish to examine humpback a little
nearer." He approached him, sat down on the ground, took his head
between his knees, and after he had looked upon him steadfastly,
fell into so great a fit of laughter, and had so little command
of himself, that he fell backwards on the ground, without
considering that he was before the sultan of Casgar. As soon as
he came to himself, "It is said," cried he, "and not without
reason, that no man dies without a cause. If ever any history
deserved to be written in letters of gold, it is that of this
humpback."

At this all the people looked on the barber as a buffoon, or an
old dotard. "Silent man," said the sultan, "why do you laugh?"
"Sir," answered the barber, "I swear by yo