summoned to his private chamber a learned doctor named Bouzor Djambour,
and said to him:
"I desire to know with certainty if all parts of my realm are peopled, or if there is
any which is not. How can I be sure of this?"
"To have your Majesty's desire fully satisfied you have only to abstain from
leaving the palace."
Saying this, Bouzor Djambour took leave of the King and went to the audience-
chamber of the King. He spoke to those assembled there as follows: "O
ministers, generals, and all present, know that his Majesty is ill. Now, in order to
cure him you must find for me a little bit of earth from a place in ruins and
uninhabited. Those who are faithful servants of the King will not hesitate to
accomplish immediately this act of devotion in his service, and to start at once in
search of the remedy I have named."
These words were scarcely uttered when men were sent out to search the towns
and villages and find some earth from a place in ruins and uninhabited. They
found only one house in ruins, and the governor of the town said as follows
about it: "A merchant once established in this dwelling. He died and left much
wealth. As none of his heirs came forward, we closed the doors with stones and
mortar, waiting for them to arrive. So the house has fallen to ruin."
Then the people took a little earth from beneath the house and took it to the
King, telling him what had happened. Then the King called an assembly and
said:
"Know all that my illness proceeded only from my fear that there might be in my
kingdom a house in ruins. Now that it has been shown to me that there exists in
my whole realm not a single place in ruins, but that the country is well
populated, my malady is cured, seeing that my kingdom is in a perfect
condition."
In the time of Nouchirvau a man sold his compound to another man. The buyer
of this property, while engaged in making repairs, found in the earth many jars
filled with gold which someone had buried there. He went immediately to the
one who sold him the premises and told him the news. The seller said:
"That gold is not mine, for I did not put it in the ground. I sold you the