Sultan Zeyn vowed that he would for the future follow his mother’s advice and be directed by the wise viziers she had chosen to assist him in the government. But the very night after he returned to his palace he saw the old man the third time in a dream, who said to him: “The time of your prosperity is come, brave Zeyn. To-morrow morning, as soon as you are up, take a pick-axe and dig in the late sultan’s private room. You will there find a rich treasure.”
As soon as the sultan awoke he got up, ran to the queen’s apartment, and with much eagerness told her the new dream of that night. “Really, my son,” said the queen, smiling, “this is a very queer old man; but have you a mind to believe him again? At any rate, the task now enjoined on you is not so bad as your former long journeys.”
“Well, madam,” answered the sultan, “I must own that this third dream has restored my confidence. Last night he exactly pointed out to me the place where the treasures are. I would rather search in vain than blame myself as long as I live for having, perhaps, missed great riches, by being too unbelieving.”
Having spoken thus he left the queen’s apartment, caused a pick-axe to be brought to him, and went alone into the late sultan’s private room. He immediately began work, and took up more than half the square stones it was paved with, yet saw not the least appearance of what he sought. He ceased working to take a little rest, thinking within himself, “I am much afraid my mother had cause enough to laugh at me.”
However, he took heart and went on with his labor, until he discovered a white slab, which he took up, and under it found a staircase of white marble. He immediately lighted a lamp and went down the stairs into a room, the floor whereof was laid with tiles of chinaware, while the roof and walls were of crystal. The room contained four golden tables, on each of which were ten urns of porphyry. He went up to one of the urns, took off the cover, and, with no less joy than surprise, perceived it was full of pieces of gold. He looked into all the forty, one after another, and found them full of the same coin, and taking out a handful, he carried it to the queen.
The queen, as may be imagined, was amazed when the sultan gave her an account of what he had discovered. “Oh my son!” said she, “take heed you do not squander all this wealth foolishly, as you have already done the royal treasure. Let not your enemies have so much occasion to rejoice.”
“No, madam,” answered Zeyn, “I will henceforward live in such a manner as shall be pleasing to you.”
The queen desired her son to conduct her to the wonderful underground place, which the late sultan her husband had made with such secrecy that she had never heard of it. Zeyn led her to the private room, down the marble stairs, and into the chamber where the urns were. She observed everything with the eye of curiosity, and in a corner spied a little urn of the same sort of stone as the others. The prince had not before taken notice of it, but, opening it, found inside 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?”