There was once a rich manwho lost all he had and became poor，whereupon his wife counselled him to seek aid of one of his friends. So he betook himself to a certain friend of his and acquainted him with his strait；and he lent him five hundred dinars to trade withal. Now he had aforetime been a jeweller；so he took the money and went to the jewel-bazaarwhere he opened a shop to buy and sell. Presentlythree men accosted himas he sat in his shopand asked for his father. He told them that he was deadand they said'Did he leave any offspring？' Quoth the jeweller'He left a sonyour servant.'
'And who knoweth thee for his son？' asked they. 'The people of the bazaar，' replied he；and they said'Call them together，that they may testify to us that thou art his son.' So he called them and they bore witness of this；whereupon the three men delivered to him a pair of saddle-bagscontaining thirty thousand dinarsbesides jewels and bullionsaying'This was deposited with us in trust by thy father.' Then they went away；and presently there came to him a womanwho sought of him certain of the jewelsworth five hundred dinarsand paid him three thousand for them.
So he took five hundred dinars and carrying them to his friend，who had lent him the moneysaid to him'Take the five hundred dinars I borrowed of thee；for God hath aided and prospered me.'Not so，' quoth the other. 'I gave them to thee outright，for the love of God；so do thou keep them. And take this paper，but read it nottill thou be at homeand do according to that which is therein.' So he took the paper and returned home，where he opened it and read therein the following verses：
The men who came to thee at first my kinsmen weremy sireHis brother and my dam'sSalih ben Ali is his name.
Moreovershe to whom thou soldst the goods my mother wasAnd eke the jewels and the goldfrom meto bootthey came；
Norin thus ordering myself to theeaught did I seek Save of the taking it from me to spare thee from the shame.