The Magic Casket

It was audience day at the court, the day when
the rich and poor, the mighty and lowly and all
who elected might come to the king in person to
present to him their woes and wrongs and appeal
to him for succor and aid and pray to him to
right their wrongs and lift from them any weight
of oppression with which they were overburdened
withal.

On his throne sat the king in regal splendour,
with his prime-minister at his side, promising suc-
cor to each, giving light and cheer to many hearts
that erstwhile had been overshadowed.

Now it chanced that a little way from the king
a very ragged man stood, gazing past the throne,
as if into an undiscovered country beyond. He
had evidently forgotten his own surroundings or
even the errand upon which he had come, and
wrapped in thought he alone of all the supplicants
had failed to ask of the king a boon.

Suddenly the king turned to his prime minister
and said: ''Who is it that takes the best care of
the body of a man in this world?"

The prime-minister answered without hesita-
tion: "Why, the wife, of course, your majesty.*'

"If she be chaste,'' came in caJm, even tones
from the lips of the ragged man who stood near
the dais; "if she be not chaste, she careth not for bim, whether body or soul, and may desire the de-
struction of even both, your majesty.'*

The king smiled and turning to his minister
said again: ''What thing is of most service in
this world?*'

** Money, your majesty, for with it all things
pertaining to the world can be had.''

''If it be in the hand," said the ragged one in
the same thoughtful manner.

The king, noting the apparent wisdom of both
replies, beckoned him to come nearer, and said:
"Who art thou, and what dost thou here? Already
all supplicants have told me their needs and thou
alone remainest here and still hast asked naught
of me. What can I do for thee?"

The man answered: '^'Your majesty, I had not
thought ever to come to thee far aid, nor would
I, were it not for the sake of one who is dear be-
yond all the world to me, my wife. A scholar am
I, my books have been my wealth, my all. Days
and nights I have spent, devouring them to the
exclusion of all things else. More cared I for wis-
dom than worldly goods, king, nor feared or
dreaded I poverty, while I was able to procure
food for her, who is most worthy of women, and
a little to eat and drink for myself. Thus was
my world all bright and beautiful, until yester-
day I awoke to the fact that she, my loved one,
was nigh illness, because of lack of good food, and to thee I have come to pray for aid, not for char-
ity, king, but to render thee my service and may-
hap be able to supply her with the necessary nour-
ishmenty so that she, who is dear to me, may again
smile upon me as of yore because of her returning
health and strength."

The king looked at the gaunt figure covered
with ragged garments, then into the calm, sweet
light of his eyes, overshadowed by a brow of
height and wisdom, and said unto his minister: ''I
make him one of the learned men of my court; see
that his needs are fully supplied and add unto
them such luxuries as befit one of that position."

From that day on the ragged scholar was known
all over the land as the most learned man of the
court, and though he wandered no more in his
rags, he was still poring over his books every lei-
sure moment that was not given to his master. For
his gentle manners and kind deeds too, he was
noted far and wide, and the wife, who had looked
upon him as a god in the days of poverty, now saw
in him the saint indeed. For while his position
and wealth had brought change in his surround-
ings, in the student no change had come, but only
in the garments he wore.

And so in a short time he was made minister of
the court and the king's love for him was great
because of the rare counsels which he gave and
the beauty of his daily living.

But at court there were those who grew jealous,
that he, a ragged beggar, should have reached such
heights at court, and many rumors went out with
intent to poison the mind and heart of the king
toward the minister, and one and another said
unto the king again and again: ''He is versed in
magic, king, it is known that each day, before
he goes to thee, he retires into an inner chamber
and opens a silver chest and there bows low to the
ground before the charm that is therein. He hath
bewitched thee, sire, for it is unnatural that one,
who only a year ago came to thee begging in rags,
should be so loved by thee and hold a place at
court second only to thee. Think of it, king,
and beware of his magic art.''

At first the king laughed at his courtiers, but
when the warning came to him again and again,
even from those nearest to him, he grew a little
grave and there arose in his mind a suspicion, ever
so slight, against his minister, and one day he said
unto them : ' ' Come and I will go with you and see
for myself."

So, with his courtiers he proceeded to the house
of his friend, the minister, who, in his simple, gra-
cious way, made them welcome in the magnificent
home which the king had bestowed upon him. Af-
ter an exchange of courtesies, the king said unto
him: ''Come with me at once to my council cham-
ber, for there are weighty matters about which I
would consult with thee."

The minister said after a pause: ''If thy maj-
esty will permit, may I retire into privacy for a
few moments?"

A look of malicious pleasure passed between
the courtiers, but the king only said: ''I wish thee
to come at once/'

Again the minister hesitated and said, * * 'Tis but
for a moment I would retire, thy majesty. I beg
thee to permit me to do so. ' '

A shadow passed over the face of the king, as he
said : ' ' What wouldst thou do? ' '

''Just for a moment retire into this inner cham-
ber, thy majesty, and I will follow thee to the pal-
ace. '*

The courtiers rubbed their hands in glee and as
the king rose and said to him, "I will accompany
thee, my friend,'' the minister, alarmed, drew
back.

"Thy majesty, it is not fit for thee to come
where I go. It would mean naught to thee, but it
is all to me."

Then it is so, thought the king, as he insisted to
be taken with the minister, who led him into a
little chamber, that was filled with books and pam-
phlets, and in the center of the room a casket
stood. The minister, gazed at the king, who, with
disapproval in his eyes, gazed back at him. Then
without a word, he opened the lid of the silver
chest and behold, in the bed of silver lay a bundle
of old yellow rags !

''What is it?'' the king asked.

''0, sire! These are the rags which covered me
in my days of poverty. I have kept them so that
in my days of prosperity I might not forget the
man who wore them. Each day before I go to
your council chamber, I look upon them and re-
member what I needed in those days, and what I
felt in those rags, so that I may not forget what
the poor feel and need."

The king heard these words in wondering ad-
miration, and leading the minister back to the
courtiers, he said unto them in deep scorn: ''Out
of the magic chamber I have come, my friends;
upon the magic casket and its charm I have looked,
and now I shall pass sentence of punishment upon
the magician himself, and proclaim him here
Prime Minister of all my realm.