said, "Praise be to Allah, but thou art a youth of wondrous wisdom, and
I would be false to my trust as the Regent of this kingdom if I failed
to submit to you a question which has for the space of a whole year
puzzled the wisest wits in the realm." Then bidding Bright-Wits to
follow, he led the way to a balcony from which the surrounding country
could be overlooked.

[Illustration: THE ZOLTAN'S ORCHARD.]

[Illustration: THE ZOLTAN'S ORCHARD.]

[Illustration: THE ZOLTAN'S ORCHARD.]

"There," said Garrofat, pointing in the direction of a large orchard,
"is a plot of land which Zoltan, the Aga, willed to his four sons. As
you can see, twelve trees grow upon it, and the whole is surrounded by a
deep ditch. Now, according to the will of Zoltan, that plot of land is
to be divided equally into four parts, each to be of the same size and
shape, and each to contain three of the twelve trees; the trees to be
located in the same position in each piece."

Now Bright-Wits had been warned by Ablano against the folly of losing
his temper when fresh tasks were imposed upon him. "It suits my
purpose," Ablano had said, "that we test their villainy to the bottom."
Remembering this warning, Bright-Wits replied with a smile, "Let the
sons of Zoltan cease from quarrelling. I will divide the land between
them according to the will of their father."

"Do this," said Doola, with a bow and smirk, "and I could die from
admiration of your cleverness."