The dervish, though he saw my avarice, was not however angry at the unreasonable return I proposed to make him, but replied without the least concern, “You are sensible, brother, that what you offer me is not proportionable to the valuable favour you ask of me.  I might have chosen whether I would communicate my secret to you or not, and have kept the treasure to myself:  but what I have told you is sufficient to shew my good intentions; it is in my power to oblige you, and make both our fortunes.  I have, however, another proposition more just and equitable to make to you; it lies in your own breast whether or no you will agree to it.

“You say,” continued the dervish, “that you have fourscore camels:  I am ready to conduct you to the place where the treasure lies, and we will load them with as much jewels and gold as they can carry, on condition that when they are so loaded you will let me have one half, and you be contented with the other; after which we will separate, and take our camels where we may think fit.  You see there is nothing but what is strictly equitable in this division; for if you give me forty camels, you will procure by my means wherewithal to purchase thousands.”

I could not but agree there was a great deal of justice in what the dervish said:  but without considering what riches I should gain in accepting of the condition he proposed, I could not without reluctance think of parting with my forty camels, especially when I reflected that the dervish would then be as rich as myself.  Avarice made me unmindful that I was beforehand making an ungrateful return for a favour, purely gratuitous.  But there was no time to hesitate; I must either accept of the proposal, or resolve to repent all my lifetime of losing, by my own fault, an opportunity of obtaining an immense fortune.  That instant I collected all my camels, and after we had travelled some time, we came into a valley, the pass into which was so narrow, that two camels could not go a-breast.  The two mountains which bounded this valley formed nearly a circle, but were so high, craggy, and steep, that there was no fear of our being seen by any body.

When we came between these two mountains, the dervish said to me, “Stop your camels, make them kneel that we may load them the easier, and I will proceed to discover the treasure.”

I did as the dervish directed; and going to him soon after, found him with a match in one hand, gathering sticks to light a fire; which he had no sooner done, than he cast some incense into it, and pronouncing certain words which I did not understand, there presently arose a thick cloud.  He divided this cloud, when the rock, though of a prodigious perpendicular height, opened like two folding doors, and exposed to view a magnificent palace in the hollow of the mountain, which I supposed to be rather the workmanship of genii than of men; for man could hardly have attempted such a bold and surprising work.