the grim, black guards from Ethiopia, with their sabres flashing in the
sun. And all the people fell on their faces and kissed the dust before
their royal master. Moreover, King Rhampsinitus erected several enormous
statues of himself, as well as many fine palaces and a beautiful temple,
bearing inscriptions which related all his great and glorious deeds, so
that the people who lived after him might know how great a king he had
been.

But, in spite of all his greatness, there was one thing that prevented
King Rhampsinitus from being a happy man. He had so many treasures--masses
of silver, nuggets of gold, and bags of gold-dust, jewelry, precious
stones, and carvings in ivory--that he lived in constant fear of being
robbed. He had all his treasures packed in large jars and strong chests,
which were securely fastened, sealed up, and stowed away in a strong room
of the palace; but even then he did not feel comfortable, for might not
the palace be broken into by a clever thief and part of his treasure
stolen, while he slept? Besides, there was so much treasure packed away
already, that it was difficult to find a safe place for any more. His
anxiety made the king so unhappy, and caused him so many sleepless nights,
that he determined at last to build a large chamber of stone, with walls
too thick for any thief to break through. He sent for his chief architect,
who collected a great multitude of workmen and set to work building the
chamber without delay. Whole villages were compelled to join in the work;
even the old men and children were employed in carrying away rubbish,
bringing water and clay, and doing other work that was not too hard for
them. The stronger and more skillful workmen hewed great blocks of
granite, which were dragged to the place on wooden sledges; and, as they
had no cranes to lift the stones into their places on the walls, they were
obliged to build mounds of sand and rough bricks, and roll up each stone
gradually with wooden levers, until they got it into its proper place. It