and by stealth, was on the surface and he knew not that under it were other monies.  So they carried it off and divided it and the first son claimed his share with the rest and added it to that which he had before taken, behind the backs of his father and his brethren.  Then he married his cousin, the daughter of his father’s brother, and was blessed through her with a male-child, who was the goodliest of the folk of his time.  When the boy grew up, his father feared for him poverty and decline of case, so he said to him, “Dear my son, know that during my green days I wronged my brothers in the matter of our father’s good, and I see thee in weal; but, an thou come to want, ask not one of them nor any other than they, for I have laid up for thee in yonder chamber a treasure; but do not thou open it until thou come to lack thy daily bread.”  Then the man died, and his money, which was a great matter, fell to his son.  The young man had not patience to wait till he had made an end of that which was with him, but rose and opened the chamber, and behold, it was empty and its walls were whitened, and in its midst was a rope hanging down as for a bucket and ten bricks, one upon other, and a scroll, wherein was written, “There is no help against death; so hang thyself and beg not of any, but kick away the bricks with thy toes, that there may be no escape for thy life, and thou shalt be at rest from the exultation of enemies and enviers and the bitterness of beggary.”  Now when the youth saw this, he marvelled at that which his father had done and said, “This is an ill treasure.”  Then he went forth and fell to eating and drinking with the folk, till naught was left him and he passed two days without tasting food, at the end of which time he took a handkerchief and selling it for two dirhams, bought bread and milk with the price and left it on the shelf and went out.  Whilst he was gone, a dog came and seized the bread and polluted the milk, and when the young man returned and saw this, he beat his face, and fared forth distraught.  Presently, he met a friend, to whom he discovered his case, and the other said to him, “Art thou not ashamed to talk thus?  How hast thou wasted all this wealth and now comest telling lies and saying, The dog hath mounted on the shelf, and talking such nonsense?” And he reviled him.  So the youth returned to his house, and verily the world had waxed black in his eyes and he cried, “My sire said sooth.”  Then he opened the chamber door and piling up the bricks under his feet, put the rope about his neck and kicked away the bricks and swung himself off; whereupon the rope gave way with him and he fell to the ground and the ceiling clave asunder and there poured down on him a world of wealth.  So he knew that his sire meant to chasten him by means of this and he invoked Allah’s mercy on him.  Then he got him again that which he had sold of lands and houses and what not else and became once more in good case; his friends also returned to him and