kinds of valuable possessions, were to be got
for the laying hold of. Quickly loading himself
with as much spoil as he could move
under, he opened and closed the door as the
Captain of the Robbers had done, and hurried
away with his treasure to his poor home.

When the wife of Scarli Tapa saw her
husband enter their dwelling after it was dark,
and proceed to pile upon the floor a heap of
wealth, she cried, Alas! husband, whom have
you taken in, now? Be not alarmed, wife,
returned Scarli Tapa, no one suffers but the
public. And then told her how he, a poor
relation, had made his way into Office by the
magic words and had enriched himself.

There being more money and more loaves
and fishes than they knew what to do with at
the moment, the wife of Scarli Tapa,
transported with joy, ran off to her sister-in-law, the
wife of Cashim Tapa, who lived hard by, to borrow
a Measure by means of which their property
could be got into some order. The wife of
Cashim Tapa, looking into the measure when it
was brought back, found at the bottom of it,
several of the crumbs of fine loaves and of the
scales of gold and silver fishes; upon which,
flying into an envious rage, she thus addressed
her husband: Wretched Cashim, you know
you are of high birth as the eldest son of a
Dowajah, and you think you are rich, but your
despised younger brother, Scarli Tapa, is
infinitely richer and more powerful than you.
Judge of his wealth from these tokens. At
the same time she showed him the measure.

Cashim, who since his marriage to the
merchant's widow, had treated his brother
coolly and held him at a distance, was at
once fired with a burning desire to know
how he had become rich He was unable to
sleep all night, and at the first streak of
day, before the summons to morning prayers
was heard from the minarets of the mosques,
arose and went to his brother's house. Dear
Scarli Tapa, said he, pretending to be very
fraternal, what loaves and fishes are these
that thou hast in thy possession! Scarli
Tapa perceiving from this discourse that he
could no longer keep his secret, communicated
his discovery to his brother, who lost no time
in providing all things necessary for the
stowage of riches, and in repairing alone to
the mysterious door near the Woods and
Forests.

When night came, and Cashim Tapa did
not return, his relatives became uneasy. His
absence being prolonged for several days and
nights, Scarli Tapa at length proceeded to the
enchanted door in search of him. Opening it by
the infallible means, what were his emotions
to find that the robbers had encountered his
brother within, and had quartered him upon
the spot for ever!

Commander of the Faithful, when Scarli
Tapa beheld the dismal spectacle of his
brother everlastingly quartered upon Office
for having merely uttered the magic words,
Debrett's Peerage. Open Sesame! he was
greatly troubled in his mind. Feeling the
necessity of hushing the matter up, and putting
the best face upon it for the family credit, he at
once devised a plan to attain that object.

There was, in the House where his brother
had sat himself down on his marriage with
the merchant's daughter, a discreet slave
whose name was Jobbiana. Though a kind
of under secretary in the treasury department,
she was very useful in the dirty work of the
establishment, and had also some knowledge
of the stables, and could assist the whippersin
at a pinch. Scarli Tapa, going home and
taking the discreet slave aside, related to her
how her master was quartered, and how it was
now their business to disguise the fact, and
deceive the neighbours. Jobbiaua replied, To
hear is to obey.

Accordingly, before day—for she always
avoided daylight—the discreet slave went to
a certain cobbler whom she knew, and found
him sitting in his stall in the public street.
Good morrow, friend, said she, putting a
bribe into his hand, will you bring the tools
of your trade and come to a House with me?
Willingly, but what to do? replied the
cobbler, who was a merry fellow. Nothing
against my patriotism and conscience, I hope?
(at which he laughed heartily). Not in the
least, returned Jobbiana, giving him another
bribe. But, you must go into the House
blindfold and with your hands tied. You
don't mind that for a job? I don't mind
anything for a job, returned the cobbler with
vivacity. I like a job. It is my business to
job; only make it worth my while, and I am
ready for any job you may please to name.
At the same time he arose briskly. Jobbiana
then imparted to him the quartering that
had taken place, and that he was wanted to
cobble the subject up and hide what had
been done. Is that all? If it is no more
than that, returned the cobbler, blind my
eyes and tie my hands, and let us cobble
away as long as you like!

Sire, the discreet slave blindfolded the
cobbler, and tied his hands, and took him to
the House where he cobbled the subject up
with so much skill, that she rewarded him
munificently. We must now return to the
Captain of the Robbers, whose name was
Yawyawah, and whose soul was filled with
perplexities and anxieties. When he visited
the cave and found, from the state of the
wheaten loaves and the gold and silver fishes,
that there was yet another person who
possessed the secret of the magic door.

Your majesty must know that Yawyawah,
Captain of the Robbers (most of whose
fore-fathers had been rebellious Genii, who never
had had anything whatever to do with
SOLOMON), sauntering through the city, in a
highly disconsolate and languid state, chanced
to come before daylight upon the cobbler
working in his stall. Good morrow, honourable
friend, said he, you job early. My Lord,
returned the cobbler, I job early and late.