During the noise occasioned by these general rejoicings, Labakan, his casket beneath his arm, slipped unperceived from the room.
He hurried down to the stable, bridled his horse Murva, and rode out of the gateway in the direction of Alexandria.
His life as prince appeared to him now like a brief but splendid dream, only the beautiful casket set with pearls and diamonds remained to remind him that he had not dreamt it all.
When at length he reached Alexandria, he rode to the shop of his former master, dismounted, fastened his horse to the door-post and went in.
His master, who did not recognise him at first, bowed and asked what he might require, but when he looked at the supposed customer more closely he saw who he was and, calling his apprentices and pupils to come to his assistance, they all set upon Labakan and beat him soundly with whatever they happened to have in their hands, flat irons, measures, shears, and so on, until at last the poor fellow fell at their feet as limp as a heap of old clothes.
As he lay there his master gave him a sound rating for having stolen the caftan; in vain Labakan assured him he was there to restore it, no one would believe him, and some of the apprentices picked him up and threw him out of the door. He managed to get upon Murva’s back and rode away to a little inn, where he was glad to lay his weary head upon a pillow, whilst he mused upon the uncertainty of happiness and the vanity of earthly riches, and before he fell asleep he had determined to renounce his dreams of grandeur and set to work to earn his living as an honest fellow.
The next day, being still of the same mind, he sold his casket to a dealer in precious stones, bought himself a house and set up a workshop. He hung out a sign with “Labakan, Tailor,” painted upon it, and then began to await his customers.
As his clothing had been most grievously torn by the rough handling he had received from his master and former companions, he took the needle and thread he had found in the casket and began to repair his clothing. He was called away and on his return, as he was about to continue his work what was his surprise to find his needle sewing busily away without any hand to guide it and making the finest and neatest stitches, quite surpassing the best work Labakan had ever done.
Truly, even the smallest of fairy gifts is bound to prove useful and valuable. Not the least value of this gift was the fact that the thread in the needle was never used up, but sewed on and on, no matter how much the needle sewed.
It was no wonder Labakan soon became famous as a tailor. Orders flocked in from far and near, and all he had to do was to start the needle sewing, and it went straight on by itself until the garment was finished.