close
resemblance to that of our childhood's favourite, the
Arabian tale of "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp," of
which many analogues and variants, both European and
Asiatic, are cited in the first volume of my _Popular
Tales and Fictions_, 1887;--see also a supplementary
note by me on Aladdin's Lamp in _Notes and Queries_,
Jan. 5, 1889, p. 1.

* * * * *

A warning against avarice is intended to be conveyed in the tale, or
rather apologue, or perhaps we should consider it as a sort of allegory,
related by the sagacious bird on the 47th Night, according to the India
Office MS., but the 16th Night of Kadiri's abridgment. It is to the
following effect, and may be entitled

_The Four Treasure-Seekers._

Once on a time four intimate friends, who made a common fund of all
their possessions, and had long enjoyed the wealth of their industrious
ancestors, at length lost all their goods and money, and, barely saving
their lives, quitted together the place of their nativity. In the course
of their travels they meet a wise Brahman, to whom they relate the
history of their misfortunes. He gives each of them a pearl, which he
places on their heads, telling them, whenever the pearl drops from the
head of any of them, to examine the spot, and share equally what they
find there. After walking some distance the pearl drops from the head of
one of the companions, and on examining the place he discovers a copper
mine, the produce of which he offers to share with the others, but they
refuse, and, leaving him, continue their journey. By-and-by the pearl
drops from the head of another of the friends, and a silver mine is
found; but the two others, believing that better things were in store
farther on, left him to his treasure, and proceeded on their way till
the pearl of the third companion dropped, and they found in the place a
rich gold mine. In vain does he endeavour to persuade his companion to
be content with the wealth here obtainable: he disdainfully refuses,
saying that, since copper, silver, and gold had been found, fortune had
evidently reserved something infinitely better for him; and so he
quitted his friend and went on, till he reached a narrow valley
destitute of water; the air like that of Jehennan;[50] the surface of
the earth like infernal fire; no animal or bird was to be seen; and
chilling blasts alternated with sulphurous exhala