sire, and turn up the ground, searching it well in such a place where thou wilt find that which shall enrich thee.”  As soon as the Prince awoke, he hastened to his mother in huge joy and told her his tale; but she fell again to laughing at him, and saying, “O my child, indeed this old man maketh mock of thee and naught else; so get thyself clear of him.”  But Zayn al-Asnam replied, “O mother mine, verily this Shaykh is soothfast and no liar:  for the first time he but tried me and now he proposeth to perform his promise.”  Whereto his mother, “At all events, the work is not wearisome; so do thou whatso thou willest even as he bade thee.  Make the trial and Inshallah—­God willing—­return to me rejoicing; yet sore I fear lest thou come back to me and say, ’Sooth thou hast spoken in thy speech, O my mother!” However Zayn al-Asnam took up a pickaxe and, descending to that part of the palace where his sire lay entombed, began to dig and to delve; nor had he worked a long while[FN#19] ere, lo and behold! there appeared to him a ring bedded in a marble slab.  He removed the stone and saw a ladder-like flight of steps whereby he descended until he found a huge souterrain all pillar’d and propped with columns of marble and alabaster.  And when he entered the inner recesses he saw within the cave-like souterrain a pavilion which bewildered his wits, and inside the same stood eight jars[FN#20] of green jasper.  So he said in his mind, “What may be these jars and what may be stored therein?”—­And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the full Five Hundredth Night,

Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, tell us one of thy fair tales, so therewith we may cut short the waking hours of this our night,” and quoth Shahrazad:—­It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that when Zayn al-Asnam saw the jars, he came forwards and unlidding them found each and every full of antique[FN#21] golden pieces; so he hent a few in hand seen and going to his mother gave of them to her saying, “Hast thou seen, O my mother?” She marvelled at the matter and made answer, “Beware, O my son, of wasting this wealth as thou dissipatedst otheraforetime;” whereupon her son sware to her an oath saying, “Have no care, O my mother, nor be thy heart other than good before me; and I desire that thou also find satisfaction in mine actions.”  Presently she arose and went forth with him, and the twain descended into the cavern-like souterrain and entered the pavilion, where the Queen saw that which wildereth the wits; and she made sure with her own eyes that the jars were full of gold.  But while they enjoyed the spectacle of the treasure behold, they caught sight of a smaller jar wondrously wrought in green jasper; so Zayn al-Asnam opened it and found therein a golden key; whereupon quoth the Queen-mother, “O my son, needs must this key have some door which it unlocketh.”  Accordingly they sought all about the souterrain and