' Then he ordered him a dress of
honour and a thousand dinars, and he went away, rejoicing.
THE MAN WHO STOLE THE DISH OF GOLD IN
WHICH THE DOG ATE.
There was once a man, who was overborne with debt, and his case
was straitened upon him, so that he left his people and family
and went forth in distraction. He wandered on at random till he
came to a high-walled and splendidly built city and entered it
in a state of wretchedness and despair, gnawed with hunger and
worn with the toil of his journey. As he passed through one of
the streets, he saw a company of notables going along; so he
followed them, till they entered a house like to a royal
palace. He entered with them, and they stayed not till they
came in presence of a man of the most dignified and majestic
aspect, seated at the upper end of a saloon and surrounded by
pages and servants, as he were of the sons of the Viziers. When
he saw the visitors, he rose and received them with honour; but
the poor man was confounded at the goodliness of the place and
the crowd of servants and attendants and drawing back, in fear
and perplexity, sat down apart in a place afar off, where none
should see him.
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