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Story CX

a trader who possessed one hundred and fifty camel-loads of merchandise, with forty slaves and servants. One evening, in the oasis of Kish, he took me into his apartment, and, taking all night to rest, kept up an incoherent gabble, saying: "I have such and such a warehouse in Turkestân, such and such goods in Hindostân; this is the title-deed of such and such an estate, and in this affair such and such a man is security." He said: "I intend to go to Alexandria because it has a good climate," and, correcting himself, continued: "No, because the African sea is boisterous. O Sa'di, I have one journey more to undertake, and after performing it I shall, during the rest of my life, sit in a corner and enjoy contentment."

I asked: "What journey is that?"

He replied: "I shall carry Persian brimstone to China, because I heard that it fetched a high price; I shall also carry Chinese porcelain to Rûm,, and Rûmi brocade to India, and Indian steel to Aleppo, convey glassware of Aleppo to Yemen, striped cloth of Yemen to Pares. After that I shall abandon trading, and shall sit down in a shop." He had talked so much of this nonsense that no more strength remained in him, so he said: "O Sa'di! Do thou also tell me something of what thou hast seen and heard."

I recited: "Thou mayest have heard that in the plain of Ghûr once a leader fell down from his beast of burden, saying, 'The narrow eye of a wealthy man will be filled either by content or by the earth of the tomb.'"