Story 

  I met a trader who possessed one hundred and fifty camel loads of

merchandise with forty slaves and servants. One evening in the oasis

of Kish he took me into his apartment and taking all night no rest

kept up an incoherent gabble, saying: 'I have such and such a

warehouse in Turkestan, such and such goods in Hindostan; this is

the title-deed of such and such an estate and in this affair such

and such a man is security.' He said: 'I intend to go to Alexandria

because it has a good climate', and correcting himself continued: 'No,

because the African sea is boisterous. O Sa'di, I have one journey

more to undertake and after performing it I shall during the rest of

my life sit in a corner and enjoy contentment.' I asked: 'What journey

is that?' He replied: 'I shall carry Persian brimstone to China

because I heard that it fetched a high price. I shall also carry

Chinese porcelain to Rum and Rumi brocade to India and Indian steel to

Aleppo, convey glass-ware of Aleppo to Yemen, striped cloth of Yemen

to Pares. After that I shall abandon trading and shall sit down in a

shop.' He had talked so much of this nonsenses that no more strength

remained in him so he said: 'O Sa'di, do thou also tell me something

of what thou hast seen and heard.' I recited:

        'Thou mayest have heard that in the plain of Ghur

        Once a leader fell down from his beast of burden,

        Saying: "The narrow eye of a wealthy man

        Will be filled either by content or by the earth

          of the tomb."'