was beginning to make himself independent of its fears, and it was the fashion among his courtiers and flatterers to laugh at its powers as an old woman's tale, as a bugbear only fit to frighten children. The consequence was, that the King was very cruel, and never refrained beating his subjects whenever it so pleased him.

Azbeaz's shop, as said before, was situated in the Chahar Sun, at the crossing of four streets in the bazaar, immediately opposite to four stepping-stones, placed there for the convenience of foot-passengers, when the gutters had overflowed and the water covered the street. The shortest road to the great mosque, whither the King was wont to resort, passed close to Azbeaz's shop, leading through the four steppingstones. Not very long after the occurrence we have related of Azbeaz's visit to the five old men, when he was diligently at work, the King was announced by the heralds, who made way for his passage to the mosque. It so happened that the waters were more than usually out, and almost covered the stepping-stones, when, apparently to the cobblers's ill-luck, the King's horse in passing them stumbled, fell, and threw his Majesty over his head. This caused a great commotion; every body ran, many were pleased, Azbeaz stood up to see the result, but well for him had it been had he kept aloof, for his face unfortunately met the King's eye, as he arose dripping with mud, when all the royal anger exploded in a manner fearful to behold; and then did the poor shoemaker feel the extent of his misfortune in having been gifted with prominent teeth, which made him laugh whether he would

or not.

Ahi, ill-born? dog's son!» exclaimed the enraged monarch, is it thus you laugh at your King? take him and cut his tongue out, he roared out to his guards; « where are the executioners? Here, beat that child of Satan, till he has not a-foot to stand upon. »

The order was no sooner given than executed; the unfortunate Azbeaz was seized, his feet thrown into the air, and before he could by any means explain that the fault was not his, that he really did not laugh, that nature bad made him

laugh whether he would or no, his feet were beaten into one great and cruel wound. The King's wrath being appeased by seeing one in a more deplorable plight than himself, proceeded to pray at the mosque, leaving his victim on the ground scarcely able to crawl, and half dead from excess of pain. No one would venture to approach and help him; still in his pain his obstinate mouth would look as if he were pleased, and thus, whilst he repressed pity, he felt more than ever the entire desolation of his fate. Those who knew him passed by on the other side wagging their heads; those who had enjoyed his jokes, or had partaken of such hospitality as he could afford, afraid of incurring the King's wrath, kept aloof and said nothing.

There was only one, a youth belonging to the King's bodyguard, who, late in attending his duty, was riding by in haste to join the royal cortège, when he perceived the wretched Azbeaz stretched out on the side of the road writhing with pain. Impelled by no other motive than feelings of pity for the sufferings of a fellow-creature, he straightway dismounted from his horse, and with soothing words, heedless of all consequences. helped him to crawl to his shop, and having procured relief to his mangled feet, he remounted and pursued his course, promising to return again. Such conduct could not fail exciting the approbation of all who witnessed the act, and, as he rode off, he heard the consolatory words barikallah and mashallah frequently repeated; but he did not remark the scowling eye of one dark and malignant man, who, with the heart of a demon, had marked him down for punishment, and it was not long ere returning to his quarters that he was seized by the King's orders, and thrown into confinement, for having thus publicly brought into contempt the royal ordinance. It need not be said, after this, that Azbeaz in vain expected the re-appearance of his benefactor; but, in spite of want of assistance, his wounds healed, and before many days had elapsed he was again seen at his stall. As he sat hard at work on his bench, his eye was frequently directed towards the stepping-stone which had been the cause of his late misfortune. It had nearly served him the same

trick several times before, for oftentimes when people stumbled over it and observed his extraordinary face near at hand, they invariably laid their mishap to his evil eye. Suddenly a thought struck him; «never shall that accursed stone be the cause of a similar misfortune again,» he said to himself: if I am what I mean to be, I will not rest until it be removed, and by Allah, he continued, musing, I will remove it myself. Oh that I could see that noble youth again who came to my assistance, I am sure he would help me. »

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After much thought, he at length determined to do the work himself. The bazaars being locked up at night and delivered over to the care of watchmen, who keep watch on the roof, Azbeaz settled in his mind that, instead of leaving his stall at sunset, he would merely appear to shut it as usual, but remain within, when, being supplied with a mattock, a spade, and a light, he hoped to transpose the obnoxious stone unseen. Accordingly, having procured the necessary implements, at nightfall as usual he closed his stall, but managed unnoticed to remain within.

At the proper time, the bazaars being closed and the watchmen placed, he made preparations to commence his task. A dead stillness reigned throughout the vast building, and Azbeaz, although employed in performing a task apparently of no great importance, felt as if he were about to engage in something criminal. He waited until an advanced hour, when he knew the watchmen were least likely to be awake, and then fell to with his mattock and spade. The delinquent stone was the most prominent of the four, and firmly planted in the ground.

"Allah send thee misfortunes!» said he, as he struck the first blow.

He worked with much ardour until the perspiration fairly burst from his brow, but, to his dismay, he found the stone deeply embedded in the ground, and adhering with more pertinacity than he expected. At length, he came to its base, and then he redoubled his activity, for he thought he perceived something more than earth-in fact he observed a shining substance-a few more blows of his mattock brought to

light a small iron door with a handle affixed to it. Curiosity now impelled him, but, ere he ventured to lift up the door, he suddenly arrested himself with this question-Should it be a treasure, what am I to do?-Shall I fly or proceed?—He could check himself no longer, but at once opening the door, which creaked from rust, instead of a golden treasure, he merely discovered a large key. Having taken it into his hand, by the light of the lantern he discerned written characters upon it, which with much difficulty he decyphered (for Azbeaz was a good scholar), and found them to say, Follow me. »

How is this?» said he ; « follow a key--what can it mean? » Holding it in his hand, to his surprise he felt it communicate a pressing forward movement to him, as if some one were inviting him to proceed in a particular direction. He placed in on the ground, as a thing that might be alive; but there it lay inert-taking it up again, the same impelling motion was felt, and he remained utterly astonished. He kept repeating to himself the words « follow me,» until he was weary of conjecture. At length, he bethought himself of proceeding a few steps in the direction to which it pressed forward, and true enough as he walked the pressure increased. His surprise was now overwhelming.

"

Allah! what shall I do?» he exclaimed ever and anon, quite uncertain what course to pursue.

The time passed in incertitude and conjecture had 'carried him on unawares, till he perceived the dawn of day peeping through the apertures in the roof of the bazaar. He thenfell to again to replace the stone in its former state, for he had not time to give it a position, when he heard the watchman opening the gates. In this dilemma, he took up the key, and, leaving his work unfinished, followed the impulse, until, having quitted the bazaar, he proceeded towards the gate of the city, which was at hand, and which also was opened at the same time as the bazaar, and once having passed through it, he found himself in the plain, with his face towards the mountains. It was then that the pressure of the key became most strongly manifest, and, indeed, it might be said to be

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so urgent that it would not allow him to delay. He found himself making his way across the plain in a manner most miraculous. Nothing stopped him. He went over every impediment with an ease that astonished him; his legs seemed to have acquired new life, his lungs played with renewed freedom in his breast. He seemed to be running a race, and bounded over hedge and ditch, rock and thicket, with the agility of an antelope. In his course Azbeaz possessed just enough wit to ask himself this question, Is this me?« He found himself approaching the mountain with fearful velocity, and then this apprehension shot across his mind, When I get to its base what shall I do? I cannot leap over a mountain ! But every step conducted him nearer; the key carried him on with a swiftness that took away his breath and almost lifted him off his legs. At length he perceived a break on the surface of a dark mass of metallic-looking rock, and immediately round a projection he saw an immense door imbedded in the stratum, and also, what he soon ascertained to be the termition of his miraculous journey, a key-hole. He then without apprehension pressed forwards, and, ere another minute had elapsed, the key flew straightway into the spot prepared for its reception. But what tongue can hope to describe the astounding effects produced by this consummation? Of a sudden a sound was heard to ring through the air like the clashing of thousands of metallic meteors, a sound that seemed to make the mountains shake, which reverberated in echoes through the valleys, and drove the impending rocks from their foundations-a sound which appeared to annihilate the existence of every living thing, causing the current of the blood to stop and paralizing the stoutest limbs. The beasts of the field ran to and fro in wild desolation-birds clustered together for protection the wild animals in the wilderness grew tame with apprehension. Azbeaz at the appalling sound grew faint and trembled throughout his frame, but when, at the same moment, he beheld the grim and portentous-looking door fly open with a crash, such as nothing human could conceive, the poor wretch at once fell to earth, lost in a trance that looked like

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