STORY OF THE SULTAN OF YEMEN AND HIS THREE SONS.

There was in the land of Yemen (Arabia Felix) a sultan, under whom were three tributary princes.  He had four children, three sons and a daughter.  He possessed greater treasures than could be estimated, as well as innumerable camels, horses, and flocks of sheep; and was held in awe by all contemporary sovereigns.

After a long and prosperous reign, age brought with it infirmity, and he at length became incapable of appearing in his hall of audience; upon which he commanded his sons to his presence, and said to them, “My wish is to divide among you, before my death, all my possessions, that you may be satisfied, and live in unanimity and brotherly affection with each other, and in obedience to my dying commands.”  They exclaimed, “To hear is to obey.”

The sultan then said, “My will is, that the eldest be sovereign in my room; that the second possess my treasures; and the third every description of animals.  Let no, one encroach upon another, but all assist each other.”  He then caused them to sign an agreement to abide by his bequests, and shortly afterwards was received into the mercy of the Almighty; upon which his sons prepared what was suitable to his dignity for his funeral.  They washed the corpse, enshrouded it, prayed over it, and having committed it to the earth, returned to their palaces; where the viziers, officers of state, and inhabitants of the metropolis, high and low, rich and poor, attended to console with them on the loss of their father.  The news of the death of the sultan was soon spread abroad into all the provinces, and deputations from every city came to condole with the princes.

After these ceremonies, the eldest prince demanded that he should be inaugurated sultan in the room of the deceased monarch, agreeably to his will; but this was not possible, as each of the other brothers was ambitious of being sovereign.  Contention and disputes now arose between them for the government, till at length the elder brother, wishing to avoid civil war, said, “Let us go and submit to the arbitration of one of the tributary sultans, and to let him whom he adjudges the kingdom peaceably enjoy it.”  To this they assented, as did also the viziers; and they departed, unattended, towards the capital of one of the tributary sultans.

When the princes had proceeded about half way on their journey, they reached a verdant spot, abounding in herbage and flowers, with a clear rivulet running through it, the convenience of which made them halt to refresh themselves.  They sat down and were eating, when one of the brothers casting his eyes on the grass, said, “A camel has lately passed this way loaded, half with sweetmeats and half with grain.”  “True,” cried another, “and he was blind of one eye.”  “Yes,” exclaimed the third, “and he had lost his tail.”  They had scarcely concluded their remarks, when the