ue of the day; but he was shortly roused from his dream. Two
of his slaves stood at his couch, and exclaimed,

"Master! master! come out and see the wonder!"

"What is the matter?" said he, raising himself up.

"O master, the melon!" they called out at once.

"Well, what of the melon? Perhaps it is beginning to decay, or is it
not good for anything? if so, throw it away. Was it worth while to
wake me up about that?"

"Oh, no, master, do not be angry; but that is not it," said the
slaves.

"Perhaps one of you has eaten it, not knowing that I picked it for
myself?"

"No, master! no, master!" cried the slaves, as it were with one mouth.
"Who would do that? Come and see yourself."

"I see I must come myself if I wish to learn what has happened," said
Jussuf, half unwillingly; and rising from his couch, he followed them
out of the tent. They led him to the place where they had made
preparations for the meal. There he saw a melon, in form like the one
which he had found, but of such a gigantic size, that he had never
before seen one like it. "Whence, then, comes this monster of a
melon?" said he to the slaves, who were standing at a distance with
signs of astonishment and fear.

"Yes, master, that is the same melon that you brought here yourself,"
answered several voices at once.

"But that was so small, that I could conveniently span it with my
fingers, and carry it in my hand," returned he; "but three men could
scarcely surround this with their arms." They assured him that it was
the same melon which he had bought. "Then," continued he, "things
cannot go right if a ripe and gathered melon can grow to such a
monstrous size."

At these words, the slave to whom he had given the melon came to him
and said, "It may well be that things do not go right." He then
related to him that he had laid the melon down where the large one now
lay; that when he had come near it, at a later period, a great wasp
had settled on the melon and pierced it with its sting. Hardly had it
flown away, when a bee came buzzing, and lodged on it: after stinging
it, this one also flew away. From this moment the melon grew larger
and larger; and they should have called him to see the wonder long
ago, had not they all been fixed with curiosity and astonishment to
see what would happen.

Since the rising of the moon, which was how beaming above the horizon
in full splendour, had the melon ceased increasing. They asked Jussuf
what should now ha