The Story of the Blind Man, Baba Abdullah—­p. 178.

An incident in the Muhammedan version of the legend of the Seven Sleepers may have furnished a hint for this well-told tale.  When the evil-minded Dekianus views the Hid Treasure, which he had covenanted with the aged man who read the Tablet for him and conducted him to the spot should be equitably divided betwixt them—­when he had beheld with wonder and astonishment the incalculable riches contained in the seven chambers, he says within himself, “And must I share this with the old man?” Then he ponders and thinks, “Nay, but I will give him a goodly portion ;” but finally he resolves to give him nothing—­nay more, to take away his life so that there should be none on earth besides himself acquainted with the source of his wealth.  In vain does the old man bid him take all the treasure and swear that he will ever preserve the secret:  Dekianus smote him with his sword so that he died.

There is a tale in the Persian story-book “Shamsah wa Kahkahah” (also entitled “Mahbub al-Kalub”) which bears some analogy to the story of the Blind Man, Baba Abdullah.  A skilful geomancer is desired by a tradesman to cast his horoscope.  He does so, and informs the tradesman that he is to find a treasure.  The man is incredulous, but after the operation is repeated with the same result at length becomes convinced of the accuracy of the geomancer’s calculations, locks his door, and forthwith they both begin to dig the floor.  They come upon a large stone which on removal is found to have covered a well.  The geomancer lowers the tradesman down it in a basket, which the latter fills with gold and silver and precious stones, and it is drawn up by the geomancer.  When this has been repeated several times and the geomancer views the immense quantity of glittering treasure heaped up beside him, covetous thoughts enter his mind, and he determines to leave the tradesman to his fate at the bottom of the well, take all the wealth for himself, and live in comfort and luxury the rest of his days.  Accordingly he does not again let the basket down, and the poor tradesman, suspecting his iniquitous design, calls out piteously to his perfidious friend, imploring him not to leave him there to perish, and swearing that the treasure should be equally shared as between brothers.  But the covetous geomancer is deaf to his appeal, and begins to consider how the treasure might be conveyed to his own house without attracting the notice of any of the folk of the quarter, and in the midst of his cogitatious he falls asleep.  Now it happened that the poor tradesman had an enemy who had long waited for an opportunity to do him a personal injury, and that very night he came to the house, and by means of a rope with a hook which he fastened to the wall he climbed on to the roof and descended into the place where the geomancer was sleeping.  The man, mistaking him for the tradesman, seized the geomancer and with a sharp awl pierced