Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/241

PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM                      225 a golden key. "My son," said the queen, "this key certainly belongs to some other treasure. Let us search well. Perhaps we may discover the use it is designed for."

They examined the chamber with the utmost exactness and at length found a keyhole in one of the panels of the wall. The sultan immediately tried the key, and readily opened the door which led into a chamber. In the midst of this room were nine pedestals of massy gold, on eight of which stood as many statues, each of them made of a single diamond, and from them darted such a brightness that the whole room was perfectly light.

"Oh heavens!" cried Zeyn, in astonishment, "where could my father find such rarities?"

The ninth pedestal redoubled this amazement, for it was covered with a piece of white satin, on which were written these words: "Dear son, it cost me much toil to procure these eight statues; but though they are extraordinarily beautiful, you must understand that there is a ninth in the world, which surpasses them all. That alone is