and now at the supper board of king manus those who were eating, or drinking, or whispering to each other as the youth began his story, became silent and eager when he spoke of babylon and the tower of babylon. the king himself was fain to hear about that city that was the greatest in the world, and about the king who was the mightiest of all kings, and he commanded the attendants to cease going here and there. so the servers and chamberlains and stewards, with the dishes, and napkins, and rods of office in their hands, stood still behind those who were seated at the table. the lords leaned forward with their eyes upon the youth who sat in the story-teller’s place, and the king made a sign for him to tell on. but the youth eean was speechless for a while. such was the memory of the high tower of babylon upon him that had he been standing he would have fallen down. his head sank on[pg 38] the arm rest of the chair, and those near him who touched his hand felt it chilled. then king manus signed for a chamberlain to go to him, and he went and wiped eean’s brow with a napkin, and then brought him a goblet of the richest wine. he raised up his head and drank, and looked down the table, and saw the high candles that burned brightly, and saw the face of the king and the faces of the lords who sat with the king. but for a while his look was the look of a man whose spirit is in another place. he heard the words that were spoken around him—words that were about the king of babylon, and the king of babylon’s palace. the youth caught at these words, and went on to speak of what befell him.
the walls of the king’s palace (said eean, the boy apprenticed to an enchanter) make seven circles, one wall rising higher than the other, and each wall having a different color. the first wall is white, the second wall is black, and the third wall is scarlet; the fourth wall is blue, the fifth wall is orange, the sixth wall is plated with[pg 39] silver, and the seventh wall is plated with gold. i was filled with wonder when i looked on the walls of the king’s palace.
the enchanter that day had put on the dress of a merchant, but under it he had left his own garb—the straight dress that had the curious figures upon it. he took into his hand the staff that was made of two serpents twisting together, and he told me that the time had come to go to the palace and speak with the king.
at an early hour, before it was yet market time, we went through the streets of the city. the soldiers let us pass through the gate of brass along a way that has on each side great lions carved in stone. we came to the palace, and my master spoke to the doorkeepers and they permitted us to enter. we went through the outer courts where there were soldiers who carried naked swords in their hands. and because my master gave himself out to be a merchant from far-off parts, and because the king greatly desired to speak with those who came from far-off parts, we were brought into the presence of the king of babylon.
[pg 40]
he looked, o king manus, like a king that was of a long line of kings. his black beard was powdered with gold, and spices burned before him. but his face was white, and it was like to the face of a man in a dream. only one person stood near him—a dwarf from the country of the dwarfs. he had on his head a crown of scarlet feathers.
when we came before him, and after we had bowed, the king looked upon us. he spoke to my master, and said, “what have you to sell, merchant?”
and my master, before he spoke, let fall his merchant’s robe, and he showed himself in the straight garb that was covered with curious figures—the garb of a magus it was.
“what i have to sell,” he said, “is the meaning of dreams, o king.”
and now, o king manus, i have to tell of a cheat worked upon a king, and of a cheat worked by my master, zabulun the enchanter, upon the king of babylon. pretending to speak of the meaning of dreams he led the king to destruction,[pg 41] hoping thereby to encompass the destruction of babylon.
the king turned to his ancient dwarf and he said, “remind me of my dreams.” and then the ancient dwarf said to the king, “of the three dreams that seemed remarkable to you, o king, the first was the dream of the three dishes.”
“it is even so,” said the king. “i dreamed that there were three dishes set before me, no more than three dishes. and then i dreamed that afterward these three dishes were hidden from me and were not to be found. there was no one to tell me the signification of this dream.”
“the signification of this dream,” said zabulun the enchanter cunningly, “is easy to discover. in the lore of the chaldeans a dish signifies a treasure. you have dreamed of a threefold treasure that is hidden away.”
but the dwarf who was beside the king spoke up and said, “why does a dish signify a treasure?”
“that is something i may not reveal,” said my master, zabulun the enchanter, and he turned to the dwarf the staff that was formed of two ser[pg 42]pents twisting together. the end of the staff lifted itself as though the serpents were rising up. the dwarf covered his eyes, and cried out, “o magus!”
“remind me of the second dream that was considered remarkable,” said the king. and the dwarf said, “the second dream was the dream of the laden ass.”
“it is even so,” said the king. “i dreamed that i looked down the way of the lions, and there came along the way a laden ass. of that dream also those skilled in the signification of dreams could tell me nothing.”
“and yet the dream is plain,” said the enchanter, looking full into the eyes of the king. “a laden ass signifies a treasure found—your dream is of a treasure being brought into your palace.”
“it is so,” said the ancient dwarf with the crown of scarlet feathers upon his head. “in dreams an ass is always laden with treasure.”
“and what was my third dream?” said the king.
[pg 43]
“your third dream,” said the ancient dwarf, “was the dream of the arrows.”
“it is even so,” said the king. “i dreamed of arrows that were shot upward to a great height.”
and then the king was silent, and he and the dwarf looked long upon zabulun the enchanter. but zabulun took a step nearer to them, and he said:
“in the lore of the chaldeans, arrows shot upward signify a very high tower. i can tell you now the significance of your three dreams, o king. they are of a treasure that is to come into your possession. the treasure is hidden. it is hidden beneath a tower. the height to which the arrows were shot shows that the treasure is hidden under the highest of towers—under the tower of babylon.”
at the mention of the tower of babylon, o king of the western island, a great fear came over me, for i knew that it was now that zabulun’s plan for the taking of the magic mirror was being put into practice. and it seemed to me that fear came over the ancient dwarf too, for he fell[pg 44] down upon his face. but rage grew in the king, and his black brows drew together in a frown.
“are you one who would have the king make search for treasure beneath the tower of babylon?” he cried out.
“no search need be made there,” said zabulun the enchanter. “and yet if the king should dream of treasure again it is proper that he should sacrifice a black cock upon the place where the treasure has been shown to be hidden. if that be done the dream will be banished and will come to the king no more. i speak as a magus. but now i have shown you the meaning of the three dreams, and there is no more to be shown.” and saying this the enchanter put the garb of a merchant over the robe of the magus. a cup was handed to him and a cup was handed to me also. this was to signify to us that our speech with the king was at an end. there was wine in our cups, but bitterness had been mixed with the wine, to signify that what had been told the king was not pleasing to him.
we went from the presence of the king, and[pg 45] when we were far outside the palace my master said to me:
“it will come about that the king will search for the treasure that i have put into his dreams. moreover, he will speak to others of this treasure, and they, too, will search for it. it will come about that these many searchers, digging for the treasure, will break upon the foundations of the tower of babylon. thereupon i will take the magic mirror and make myself the master of the babylonians.”
this he said to me as i went with him from the king’s palace along the way of the lions. i was affrighted, and it seemed to me that the lions that were in stone looked ragefully down on us as we passed.
