I took ten camels of him and was about to gang my gait when suddenly it struck me, “This Fakir was unconcerned at giving up ten camels, so ’twere better I ask more of him.”  Thereupon I drew nearer to him and said, “Thou canst hardly manage thirty camels; do give me, I pray thee, other ten.”  Said he, “O my son, do whatso thou wishest!  Take thee other ten camels; twenty will suffice me.”  I did his bidding and driving off the twenty added them to my forty.  Then the spirit of concupiscence possessed me, and I bethought me more and more to get yet other ten camels from his share; so I retraced my steps for the third time and asked him for another ten, and of these, as also the remaining ten, I wheedled him.  The Darwaysh gladly gave up the last of his camels, and, shaking out his skirts,[FN#255] made ready to depart; but still my accursed greed stuck to me.  Albeit I had got the fourscore beasts laden with Ashrafis and jewels, and I might have gone home happy and content, with wealth for fourscore generations, Satan tempted me still more, and urged me also to take the box of ointment, which I supposed to contain something more precious than rubies.—­And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till

          The end of the Six Hundred and Ninth Night.

Then said she:—­I have heard, O auspicious King, that Baba Abdullah continued his tale in these words:—­So when I had again farewelled and embraced him I paused awhile and said, “What wilt thou do with the little box of salve thou hast taken to thy portion?  I pray thee give me that also.”  The Fakir would by no means part with it, whereupon I lusted the more to possess it, and resolved in my mind that, should the holy man give it up of his free will, then well and good, but if not I would force it from him.  Seeing my intent he drew the box from out his breast-pocket[FN#256] and handed it to me saying, “O my son, an thou wouldst have this box of ointment, then freely do I give it to thee; but first it behoveth thee to learn the virtue of the unguent it containeth.”  Hearing these words I said, “Forasmuch as thou hast shown me all this favour, I beseech thee tell me of this ointment and what of properties it possesseth.”  Quoth he, “The wonders of this ointment are passing strange and rare.  An thou close thy left eye and rub upon the lid the smallest bit of the salve then all the treasures of the world now concealed from thy gaze will come to sight; but an thou rub aught thereof upon thy right eye thou shalt straightway become stone blind of both.”  Thereat I bethought me of putting this wondrous unguent to the test and placing in his hand the box I said, “I see thou understandest this matter right well; so now I pray thee apply somewhat of the ointment with thine own hand to my left eyelid.”  The Darwaysh thereupon closed my left eye and with his finger rubbed a little of the unguent over the lid; and when I opened it and looked around I saw the hidden hoards of the earth in countless quantities even as