As Aben Hassen, like a man in a dream, walked towards his own
house, he met an old man standing at the corner of the street.
The old man had a talisman that hung dangling from a chain, and
which he offered for sale. When Aben Hassen saw the talisman he
knew very well what it was--that it was the famous talisman of
King Solomon the Wise. If he who possessed the talisman asked it
to speak, it would tell that man both what to do and what not to
do.

The Wise Man bought the talisman for three pieces of silver (and
wisdom has been sold for less than that many a time), and as soon
as he had the talisman in his hands he hurried home with it and
locked himself in a room.

"Tell me," said the Wise Man to the Talisman, "shall I marry the
beautiful queen of the Black Isles?"

"Fly, while there is yet time to escape!" said the Talisman; "but
go not near the queen again, for she seeks to destroy thy life."

"But tell me, O Talisman!" said the Wise Man, "what then shall I
do with all that vast treasure of the kings of Egypt?"

"Fly from it while there is yet chance to escape!" said the
Talisman; "but go not into the treasure-house again, for in the
farther door, where thou hast not yet looked, is that which will
destroy him who possesses the treasure."

"But Zadok," said Aben Hassen; "what of Zadok?"