as he did not meet in the course of his way
one of the thousand obstacles that had impeded his progress on his
journey in search of this water.

The last traces of sunlight were fast disappearing in the west when he
found himself at the entrance of the castle. Immediately the three
brothers advanced to meet him.

"See," said the third, who had imposed this last mission on him, "see,
thou hast brought us water in a rush basket."

With these words they ushered him into the interior, and gave him the
joyful intelligence that he had now accomplished everything that was
necessary to put him in possession of the wonder-stone.

"You must know," said they, "that the wonder-stone is concealed in an
iron chest; but the bolt, by lapse of time, is so thoroughly rusted
that no power has yet been discovered sufficient to force it back and
to disclose the contents. There is, however, a tradition that he who
shall be deemed worthy to possess this treasure, and who shall have
successfully performed all our commands, shall be endued with power to
draw back the bolt--a feat which has been deemed impossible for many
hundred years. But, as destiny often depends on circumstances which
mortals consider trivial and insignificant, so in this case a
combination of materials is requisite, by whose agency alone a sure
and happy success can crown our hitherto prosperous attempts. It
would, doubtless, be imagined that a rusty bolt might be moved by the
application of a little oil or grease, of whatever nature it might be;
but in this case nothing save that portion of marrow which is
contained in the lion's tail will be efficient, and this, too, must be
boiled in water fetched in a rush basket. Nor is this all: the marrow
must be applied with three feathers plucked from the left wing of a
white eagle, the king of eagles in Eagle Land."

After these words they conducted him into a chamber; in the middle of
it stood a large iron chest, whose cover was fastened down by seven
strong iron bolts.

"Behold the chest in which the wonder-stone is hid," said they. "Let
us proceed to work immediately."

Hereupon they brought in a cauldron, and filled it with snow from the
rush basket, and placed it on a fire in the kitchen. The lion's tail
was then cut into pieces and thrown into the water; the fat was soon
extracted, and floated at the top. Then the first of the three
brothers brought in the eagle's wing, and Jalaladdeen was ordered to
pluck out the t