Unknown

“ The princess, though not much pleased with the latter part of his offer, endeavoured to comfort him as well as she could; she let him know he had an hundred mice already, which ought to be at least sufficient to satisfy any philosopher like him. Though none of them had green eyes, yet he should learn to thank Heaven that they had eyes. She told him (for she was a profound moralist,) that incurable evils must be borne, and that useless lamentations were vain, and that man was born to misfortunes ”

“ The honest dervise being mounted on the throne of his father-in-law, as he was one day in the midst of his courtiers upon a march, he espied the envious man among the crowd of people that stood as he passed along, and calling one of his visiers that attended him, whispered him in the ear thus: “Go, bring me that man you see there, but take care you do not frighten him.” ”

“ How was he struck to the heart, when he found that his friend, whom he had often tried, and who had relieved him in his distress, could not withstand this temptation, but broke through the sacred bonds of friendship, and turned even a thief for gold which he did not want, as he was already very rich! “Oh!” said he, “what is the heart of man made of? Why am I condemned to live 30 among people who have no sincerity, and barter the most sacred ties of friendship and humanity for the dirt that we tread on? ”

“ By her instructions he was determined in his choice; and returning to the old fairy, prudently observed, that, as she must have been sensible he had married her only for the sake of what she had, and not for her personal qualifications, he thought it would, for several reasons, be most convenient if she continued a woman by day, and appeared a mouse by night. ”

“ But I know well how this good head of the dervises may cure her; the thing is very easy, and I will tell it you. He has a black cat in his convent, with a white spot at the end of her tail, about the bigness of a small piece of English money; let him only pull seven hairs out of this white spot, burn them, and smoke the princess’s head with the fume, she will not only be presently cured, but be so safely delivered from 19 Maimoun, the son of Dimdim, that he will never dare to come near her a second time. ”

“ Our philosopher immediately took the gold, and putting it into his pocket, told the other he had now altered his mind, and should bury it no more, till he 31 found a man more worthy of his confidence. See what people lose by being dishonest!
Remember this story, and take care whom you trust; but do not be covetous, sordid, and miserable; for the gold we have, is but lent us to do good with. We receive all from the hand of God, and every person in distress hath a just title to a portion of it. ”

“ I now therefore give you your choice, whether you would have me a mouse by day, and a woman by night, or a mouse by night, and a woman by day.” Though the prince was an excellent 11 casuist, he was quite at a loss how to determine; but at last thought it most prudent to have recourse to a blue cat, that had followed him from his own dominions, and frequently amused him with its conversation, and assisted him with its advice; in fact this cat was no other than the faithful Princess Nanhoa herself, who had shared with him all his hardships in this disguise. ”

“ The head of the dervises did as he required.
When the envious man saw that he was alone with this good man, he began to tell him his errand, walking side by side in the court, until he saw his opportunity; and getting the good man near the brink of the well, he gave him a thrust, and pushed him into it, without any body being witness to so wicked an action. Having done this, he marched off immediately, got out at the gate of the convent, without being known to any one, and came 17 home to his own house, well satisfied with his journey ”

“ This inscription must be an ænigma, the hidden meaning of which I will endeavour to find; for a philosopher never would expect a stone to be turned to gold.” Accordingly he measured the length of the shadow, which the statue gave on the ground by the sun shining on it, and marked that particular part where the head fell; then getting a chopness, a thing like a spade, and digging, he discovered a copper chest, full of gold, 27 with this inscription engraved on the lid of it, “Thy wit, oh man! ”

“ The great reputation of this honest man having spread to the town from whence he came, it touched the envious man so much to 16 the quick, that he left his house and affairs, with a resolution to go and ruin him. ”

“ In this pursuit he found several, with whom he had exchanged good offices, and who were polite and obliging; but they often flew off for trifles, or as soon as he pretended to be in distress, and requested their assistance, had left him to struggle with his own difficulties. So true is that copy in our books, which says, “Adversity is the touchstone of friendship.”
At last, however, he met in with the Utopian Philosopher, or the Wise Man of the Mountain, as he is called, and thought in him he had found 29 the friend he wanted ”

“ To this he added, that all the people for many leagues round came there every 26 May morning, expecting to see the stone head turned to gold.
Tom got up very early on the first of May to behold this amazing change, and when he came near the statue, he saw a number of people, who all ran away from him in the utmost consternation, having never before seen a lion follow a man like a lap-dog. ”

“ The honest man, having made this purchase, put on a dervise’s or monk’s habit, to lead a retired life, and caused several cells to be made in the house, where, in a short time, he established a numerous society of dervises ”