at once sent and took it away from the Fakir, and began to search for the treasure on his own account.  After shooting many arrows and digging in all directions the King failed to find the treasure, and got weary of searching, and returned the writing to the Fakir.  Then the Fakir tried what he could do, but failed to hit the spot where the treasure was buried.  At last despairing of success by his own unaided efforts, he cast his care upon God, and implored the divine assistance.  Then a voice from heaven came to him saying, “You were directed to fix an arrow in your bow, but not to draw your bow with all your might, as you have been doing.  Shoot as gently as possible, that the arrow may fall close to you, for hidden treasure is indeed ’nearer to you than your neck-vein’” [Kuran, l. 15].  Men overlook the spiritual treasures close to them, and for this reason it is that prophets have no honour in their own countries.—­Mr. F:  H. Whinfield’s Abridgment of “The Masnavi-i Ma’navi.” (London, 1887.)

[FN#377] See Mr. Gibb’s translation (London:  Redway), p. 278

[FN#378] “Rem quae contigit patrum memoria ut veram ita dignam relatu et saepenumero mihi assertam ab hominibus fide dignis apponam.”

[FN#379] Thorpe says that a nearly similar legend is current at Tanslet, on the island of Alsen.

[FN#380] The common tradition is, it was in English rhyme, viz.

          “Where this stood
          Is another as good;”

or, as some will have it: 

          “Under me doth lie
          Another much richer than I.”

[FN#381] Apropos to dreams, there is a very amusing story, entitled “Which was the Dream ?” in Mr. F. H. Balfour’s “Leaves from my Chinese Scrap Book,” p. 106-7 (London:  Trubner, 1887).

[FN#382] The story in the Turkish collection, “Al-Faraj ba’d al-Shiddah,” where it forms the 8th recital, is doubtless identical with our Arabian version, since in both the King of the Genie figures, which is not the case in Mr. Gibb’s story.

[FN#383] Although this version is not preceded, as in the Arabian, by the Dream of Riches, yet that incident occurs, I understand, in separate form in the work of ’Ali Aziz.

[FN#384] Sir Richard has referred, in note 1, p. 18, to numerous different magical tests of chastity, etc., and I may here add one more, to wit, the cup which Oberon, King of the Fairies, gave to Duke Huon of Bordeaux (according to the romance which recounts the marvellous adventures of that renowned Knight), which filled with wine in the hand of any man who was out of “deadly sin” and attempted to drink out of it, but was always empty in the hands of a sinful man.  Charlemagne was shown to be sinful by this test, while Duke Huon, his wife, and a companion were proved to be free from sin.—­In my “Popular Tales and Fictions” the subject of inexhaustible purses etc. is treated pretty fully—­they frequently figure in folk-tales, from Iceland to Ceylon, from Japan to the Hebrides.