wn them and
found himself in a roomy kind of cave in which stood fifty large bronze
jars, each with a cover on it. The prince uncovered one after another,
and found them all filled with gold dust. Delighted with his discovery
he left the cave, replaced the slab, and having finished cutting down
the tree waited for the gardener's return.

The gardener had heard the night before that the ship about which he
was inquiring would start ere long, but the exact date not being yet
known he had been told to return next day for further information. He
had gone therefore to inquire, and came back with good news beaming in
his face.

"My son," said he, "rejoice and hold yourself ready to start in three
days' time. The ship is to set sail, and I have arranged all about
your passage with the captain.

"You could not bring me better news," replied Camaralzaman, "and in
return I have something pleasant to tell you. Follow me and see the
good fortune which has befallen you."

He then led the gardener to the cave, and having shown him the treasure
stored up there, said how happy it made him that Heaven should in this
way reward his kind host's many virtues and compensate him for the
privations of many years.

"What do you mean?" asked the gardener. "Do you imagine that I should
appropriate this treasure? It is yours, and I have no right whatever
to it. For the last eighty years I have dug up the ground here without
discovering anything. It is clear that these riches are intended for
you, and they are much more needed by a prince like yourself than by an
old man like me, who am near my end and require nothing. This treasure
comes just at the right time, when you are about to return to your own
country, where you will make good use of it."

But the prince would not hear of this suggestion, and finally after
much discussion they agreed to divide the gold. When this was done the
gardener said:

"My son, the great thing now is to arrange how you can best carry off
this treasure as secretly as possible for fear of losing it. There are
no olives in the Ebony Island, and those imported from here fetch a
high price. As you know, I have a good stock of the olives which grew
in this garden. Now you must take fifty jars, fill each half full of
gold dust and fill them up with the olives. We will then have them
taken on board ship when you embark."

The prince took this advice, and spent the rest of the day filling the
fifty