t for him again, and after calling him
a fool, said: "I have a nice little job for you, that will bring you to
your proper senses. Go into the field and dig for water, day after day
until you find it."

So for many days Abdul labored under the scorching sun, until he had
dug down to a depth of about thirty feet, and then he came upon a brass
vessel, finely chased, full of round white stones, which fairly dazzled
his eyes in the fierce sunlight. He put one in his mouth and tried to
break it with his teeth, but could not.

Then he said to himself, "The master has planted some rice and it has
turned into stones. Perhaps there are some more." And going down a few
feet lower, he found another pot filled with sparkling stones of
various colors.

Then he remembered that he had seen pretty pieces of glass like these
for sale in Meshed, and made up his mind that on the first opportunity
he would again visit the city and take the stones with him. Meanwhile,
he would hide them, and say nothing.

Abdul did not have to wait long for a holiday, for on finding water a
little lower down, his master was so pleased that he gave him a
well-deserved rest, and then Abdul set off for Meshed. But before
entering the city, he hid most of the treasure at the foot of a tree
under a big stone. Then with still a pocket full, he went straight to
the shop where he had seen such stones, and spoke to the shopkeeper who
was seated at the entrance to his shop, calmly smoking his water-pipe.

"Do you want to buy any more stones like those?" he asked, pointing to
some in a brass tray. "Yes, have you got one?" replied the merchant,
for Abdul did not look like a man who was likely to have more than one,
if any.

"I have a pocket full of them," said Abdul.

"You have a pocket full of pebbles, more likely," said the jeweler. But
when Abdul took out a handful and showed him, he was so astonished that
he could hardly speak. Trembling in every limb, he bade Abdul wait a
minute, and leaving his apprentice in charge, he hastily left the shop.
When he returned, the chief of the police was with him.

"I am innocent," cried the jeweler. "There is the man. His pockets are
filled with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and pearls of great price.
Without doubt he has found the long-lost treasure of Cyrus."

Then Abdul was searched; the precious stones were found upon him; and
when they had brought Zeeba and the children, the whole family were
sent under a guard of f