"I cannot relate to thee my story. It
would be too long. I will tell thee, however,
my occupation;— I am a Dealer in Wisdom."

"Is wisdom of ready sale?" inquired
Radawan, a little puzzled.

"Not very; and therefore I am obliged to
sell it at a high price. I charge a thousand
pieces of gold for every maxim."

"Master," replied Radawan, "I have six
thousand pieces of gold. Take one thousand
and sell me a maxim."

Abou Kasim took the money, and answered,

"Avoid bye-roads."

Then the fierce supervisor put another
thousand pieces of gold into his hand, and
received in return this saying—

"Ask only about what concerns thee."

A third thousand purchased the following
sentence—

"Think before acting."

"Now," said Radawan, "I have invested
half my capital in wisdom; the rest I will
keep for my necessities."

At parting Abou Kasim, instead of giving
him a handsome present as he expected,
put into his hands a large loaf of bread, on
which he told him to make his first supper,
on arriving at his home. However, Radawan
was grateful for the kindness he had received,
kissed his master's hand at parting, and
went his way rejoicing in his newly
acquired wisdom, which he was very anxious of
an opportunity for practising. He thought
it best to journey in part by sea, so he
embarked at Jaffa, and after a stormy
passage arrived at length in the city of
Alexandria.

Having rested one day, he resolved to start
immediately for Cairo, by way of Rosetta and
the Nile, then the regular route. Some
travellers advised him strongly to go all the
way by land; and as they showed that the
journey could be thus performed more rapidly
than by water, he was about to consent, when
he remembered the first maxim he had bought
— "Avoid bye-roads." So he refused the
proposition, and carrying out his original plan,
reached Cairo in safety one evening after the
closing of the gates. On turning away to seek
for a place of rest for the night, he met a man
in rags. He soon recognised him to be one of
the travellers who had tried to persuade him
to accompany them; and learned that the
overland party had been attacked by robbers,
who had seized everything they had, and
slain all except this one. Radawan silently
turned his face to the East, and uttered a
short thanksgiving, saying, "I thank thee, O
Prophet, (whose name be exalted), for the
wisdom thou hast sent me by thy servant,
Abou Kasim."

Then the two went their several ways,
seeking for a place in which they might sleep.
The traveller, having nothing to lose, lay
down under a tree; but Radawan, who had
not left his money in the boat, wandered abont
until he saw a mansion standing in a fair
garden. He approached, and knocked at the
door, which, after a little time, was opened by
a tall man of stern aspect; who, however, on
hearing what he required, bade him enter and
make himself at home. When the door was
closed, Radawan's heart misgave him. He
feared he had entered a robber's den; for the
man was armed with a sword and pistols,
and there was no sign of any other person
living in the house. However, it was now too
late to retreat, and he followed his host into a
large apartment, around which were ranged,
to his dismay, a long row of grinning human
heads. A momentary impulse urged him to
inquire what they meant; but the sage's
second maxim— "Ask only about what
con-cerns thee"— checked him, and he
continued in the steps of the stern man until
he came to an elegant chamber, where a
supper was laid out. He was now invited
to sit, and presently there appeared to attend
on him a beautiful maiden, who was blind;
not by the decrees of nature, but evidently by
the violence of man. Radawan was now racked
by intense curiosity; but he suppressed all
outward sign of it, and ate and drank with
his host as if nothing remarkable had met
his eyes. Thus they passed an hour, after
which Radawan spent the night comfortably;
and, rising early next morning, prepared to
depart.

As he was about to go, the master of the
house called him back and said: "Verily,
thou art a wise man; and thy wisdom hath
saved thy life. Know that all those heads
which thou hast seen are the heads of
impertinent questioners, whom I received hospitably,
and who could not control their curiosity
respecting the maiden with her eyes put out.
Thou shalt know all, because thou hast been
silent. That maiden is my sister. I saw thee
look with pity on her; but if thou knewest
her horrible wickedness, thou wouldst loathe
her and pity me."— Here the barber grew
again tedious, in telling the story of the blind
maiden. It is too revolting for repetition.
At its conclusion the mysterious brother said:
"Go now, Radawan; and it will be some
comfort for thee to know without asking that
which thou shouldst have known if thou hadst
asked, because, in this latter case, after I had
told my story I would have slain thee without
hesitation."

Radawan accordingly went forth rejoicing
from that house; and, turning to the East, he
again blessed the Prophet, saying, "I thank
thee, O Prophet, (whose name be exalted),
for the wisdom thou hast sent me by thy
servant, Abou Kasim."

He then hastened to the city-gates. They
had long been open, and a busy crowd were
pouring in and out. His first thought was to
proceed at once to his own house; but he
reflected that possibly great changes had taken
place it might even be that Ayesha had
forgotten him, or, supposing him dead, had taken
i another husband. So he first went to the shop