the Fakir had told me I should see them.  Then closing my right eyelid, I bade him apply some of the salve to that eye also.  Said he, “O my son, I have forewarned thee that if I rub it upon thy right eyelid thou shalt become stone blind of both.  Put far from thee this foolish thought:  why shouldst thou bring this evil to no purpose on thyself?” He spake sooth indeed, but by reason of my accursed ill-fate I would not heed his words and considered in my mind, “If applying the salve to the left eyelid hath produced such effect, assuredly far more wondrous still shall be the result when rubbed on the right eye.  This fellow doth play me false and keepeth back from me the truth of the matter.”  When I had thus determined in my mind I laughed and said to the holy man, “Thou art deceiving me to the intent that I should not advantage myself by the secret, for that rubbing the unguent upon the right eyelid hath some greater virtue than applying it to the left eye, and thou wouldst withhold the matter from me.  It can never be that the same ointment hath qualities so contrary and virtues so diverse.”  Replied the other, “Allah Almighty is my witness that the marvels of the ointment be none other save these whereof I bespake thee; O dear my friend, have faith in me, for naught hath been told thee save what is sober sooth.”  Still would I not believe his words, thinking that he dissembled with me and kept secret from me the main virtue of the unguent.  Wherefore filled with this foolish thought I pressed him sore and begged that he rub the ointment upon my right eyelid; but he still refused and said, “Thou seest how much of favour I have shown to thee:  wherefore should I now do thee so dire an evil?  Know for a surety that it would bring thee lifelong grief and misery; and I beseech thee, by Allah the Almighty, abandon this thy purpose and believe my words.”  But the more he refused so much the more did I persist; and in fine I made oath and sware by Allah, saying, “O Darwaysh, what things soever I have asked of thee thou gayest freely unto me and now remaineth only this request for me to make.  Allah upon thee, gainsay me not and grant me this last of thy boons:  and whatever shall betide me I will not hold thee responsible therefor.  Let Destiny decide for good or for evil.”  When the holy man saw that his denial was of no avail and that I irked him with exceeding persistence, he put the smallest bit of ointment on my right lid and, as I opened wide my eyes, lo and behold! both were stone-blind:  naught could I see for the black darkness before them and ever since that day have I been sightless and helpless as thou foundest me.  When I knew that I was blinded, I exclaimed, “O Darwaysh of ill-omen, what thou didst fore tell hath come to pass;” and I fell to cursing him and saying “O would to Heaven thou hadst never brought me to the hoard or hadst given me such wealth.  What now avail me all this gold and jewels?  Take back thy forty camels and make me whole again.”