Yes, and a very good story too. Have you not another, Menouni?"

"Your highness," replied Mustapha, "the caravan will depart at break of
day, and Menouni has but three hours to prepare. It can no longer be
detained without the chief making a report to the authorities, which
would not be well received."

"Be it so," replied the pacha; "Let Menouni be rewarded, and we will
try to find some other storyteller, until his return from his
pilgrimage."

Chapter XIX

"Mustapha," observed the pacha, taking his pipe out of his mouth, "what
makes the poets talk so much about the Book of Fate?"

"The Book of Fate, your highness, is where is written our _Talleh_, or
destiny. Can I say more?"

"Allah acbar! God is great! and it is well said. But why a book, when
nobody can read it?"

"These are great words, and spiced with wisdom. O pacha! doth not Hafiz
say, 'Every moment you enjoy, count it gain.' Who can say what will be
the event of anything?"

"Wallah thaib! well said, by Allah! Then why a book, if the book is
sealed?"

"Yet there are wise men who can read our Kismet, and foretell."

"Yes, very true; but I have observed that it is not until after an event
has happened, that they tell you of it. What are these astrologers?
_Bosh_--nothing--I have said." And the pacha remained some time smoking
his pipe in silence.

"May it please your highness," observed Mustapha, "I have outside a
wretch who is anxious to crawl into your presence. He comes from the
far-distant land of Kathay--an unbeliever, with two tails."

"Two tails! was he a pacha in his own country?"

"A pacha! Staffir Allah!--God forgive me! A dog--a most miserable
dog--on my eyes be it; but still he hath two tails."

"Let the dog with two tails be admitted," replied the pacha. "We have
said it."

A yellow-skinned, meagre, and wrinkled old Chinaman was brought in
between two of the guards. His eyes were very small and bleared, his
cheek-bones prominent; all that could be discovered of his nose were two
expanded nostrils at its base; his mouth of an enormous width, with
teeth as black as ink. As soon as the guards stopped, he slipped down
from between them on his knees, and throwing forward his body,
_kow-tow_-ed with his head in the dust nine times, and then remained
with his face down on the floor.

"Let the dog with two tails rise," said the pacha.

This order not being immediately obeyed by the servile Chinaman, each of
the two guards who s