the proceeds take a little shop, and support yourself by
trade."

"Look to yourself," said the fifth: "I am very sorry for you; but I
cannot help you."

They then left him, some upbraiding him, others shrugging their
Shoulders with pity.

"These are friends indeed!" said Jalaladdeen, bitterly, as they
deserted him. "Oh, why did I neglect my father's injunctions? Even on
the first day of our acquaintance, I should have taken warning by
their carelessness in disregarding the Prophet's commandment
concerning the abuse of wine. Ah me! I am justly punished."

He immediately began to retrench his household expenditure, and
shortly his handsome tapestries and costly goods were all sold off,
and he was reduced to the necessity of economizing most rigidly. But
deeply as he felt the loss of those comforts which he had so lately
enjoyed, his reflections bore still heavier upon him.

In his contemplations one day on his unhappy lot, he laid himself
down in the same chamber in which he had received his dying father's
commands. Here he experienced the most bitter anguish for the
past--looked forward with sorrow and amazement to the future, as he
had no one to advise and counsel him. Here his eye lighted upon the
nail in the wall; and the last words of his father rung again in his
ears--"Take this rope; you will see a nail in the wall; fasten it, and
pull three times."

Jalaladdeen immediately opened a drawer where the rope lay, fetched a
stool to the spot, made fast the end of the rope to the nail, and
pulled with all his might. At the third pull he found he had torn the
nail out of the wall, which had brought with it a square piece of
board, thus leaving a large opening: he observed, too, that this was
not the effect of chance, but of design. How great, then, was his
astonishment when, on fetching a ladder, and looking into the opening,
he discovered a much larger bag of gold, pearls, and other precious
stones, than that one he found on a previous occasion, and which he
had so thoughtlessly squandered. He now perceived that his father had
prevented his touching this treasure until he should have learnt by
misfortune how easily vast riches are dissipated, and should have been
convinced by experience of the truth of his fatherly instructions and
warning.

In order to avoid falling again into the hands of his profligate
friends, should they hear of his improved circumstances, and to rid
himself of their company for ever, he