Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/22

4 have a pressing errand to him and a weighty matter.’ ‘Away, fool!’ replied they. ‘Who art thou that we should bid our lord come out to thee?’ But he said, ‘Tell him of this.’ So they went in and told the king, who said, ‘Did ye not rebuke him and draw upon him and chide him!’ But, as he spoke, behold, there came another knock at the gate, louder than the first, whereupon the servants ran at the stranger with staves and weapons, to fall upon him; but he cried out at them, saying, ‘Abide in your places, for I am the Angel of Death.’ When they heard this, their hearts quaked and their wits forsook them; their understandings were dazed and their nerves trembled for fear and their limbs lost the power of motion. Then said the King to them, ‘Bid him take a substitute in my stead.’ But the Angel answered, saying, ‘I will take no substitute, and I come not but on thine account, to make severance between thee and the good thou hast gathered together and the riches thou hast heaped up and treasured.’ When the king heard this, he wept and groaned, saying, ‘May God curse the treasure that has deluded and undone me and diverted me from the service of my Lord! I deemed it would profit me, but to-day it is a regret for me and an affliction unto me, and behold, I [must] go forth, empty-handed of it, and leave it to mine enemies.’

Therewith God caused the treasure to speak and it said, ‘Why dost thou curse me? Curse thyself, for God created both me and thee of the dust and appointed me to be in thine hand, that thou mightest provide thee with me for the next world and give alms with me to the poor and sick and needy and endow mosques and hospices and build bridges and aqueducts, so might I be a succour unto thee in the life to come. But thou didst garner me and hoard me up and bestowedst me on thine own lusts, neither gavest thanks for me, as was due, but wast