lashes over the shoulders, and made him afterwards be carried through the town on a camel, with one crying before him, “Thus are men punished who enter people’s houses by force.”  After having treated him thus, they banished him the town, and forbad him ever to return.  Some people, who met him after the second misfortune, brought me word where he was; I went, brought him to Bagdad privately, and gave him all the assistance I could.  The caliph did not laugh so much at this story as at the other.  He was pleased to pity the unfortunate Alcouz, and ordered something to be given me.  But without giving his servants time to obey his orders, I continued my discourse, and said to him:  “My sovereign lord and master, you see that I do not talk much; and since your majesty has been pleased to do me the favour to listen to me so far, I beg you would likewise hear the adventures of my two other brothers; I hope they will be as diverting as those of the former.  You may make a complete history of them, that will not be unworthy of your library:  I shall do myself the honour then to acquaint you, that the fifth brother was called Alnaschar.”

The Story of the Barber’s Fifth Brother.

Alnaschar, as long as our father lived, was very lazy; instead of working he used to beg in the evening, and live upon what he got.  Our father died at a very old age, and left among us seven hundred dirhems:  we divided equally, so that each of us had a hundred for his share.  Alnaschar, who had never before possessed so much money, was much perplexed to know what he should do with it.  He consulted a long time with himself, and at last resolved to lay it out in glass-ware which he bought of a wholesale dealer.  He put all in an open basket, and sat with it before him, and his back against a wall, in a place where he might sell it.  In this posture, with his eyes fixed on his basket, he began to meditate; during which he spoke as follows:  “This basket cost me a hundred dirhems, which is all I have in the world.  I shall make two hundred of them by retailing my glass, and of these two hundred, which I will again lay out in glass-ware, I shall make four hundred; and going on thus, I shall at last make four thousand dirhems; of four thousand I shall easily make eight thousand, and when I come to ten thousand, I will leave off selling glass and turn jeweller; I will trade in diamonds, pearls, and all sorts of precious stones:  then when I am as rich as I can wish, I will buy a fine mansion, a great estate, slaves, eunuchs, and horses.  I will keep a good house, and make a great figure in the world; I will send for all the musicians and dancers of both sexes in town.  Nor will I stop here, for, I will, by the favour of Heaven, go on till I get one hundred thousand dirhems, and when I have amassed so much, I will send to demand the grand vizier’s daughter in marriage; and represent to that minister, that I have heard much of the wonderful beauty, understanding, wit,